"All Measures to Continue Academic and Training Activities"
"Expanding Global Core Diplomacy to the Central Asian Stage"
President Yoon Suk-yeol emphasized on the 18th, regarding the medical community's collective strike led by the Korea Medical Association (KMA), that "if one insists on claims that the public does not agree with and that are impossible to realize, everyone inevitably becomes a victim," and stated, "We will see medical reform through to the end." Continuing from the previous day, he labeled the medical community's collective action as 'illegal' and maintained a firm stance.
On the same day, President Yoon presided over a Cabinet meeting at the Yongsan Presidential Office and said, "Since the government has the responsibility to protect the lives and health of the people, it can only respond strictly to illegal acts that abandon patients." The government decided to issue work commencement orders to doctors involved in the KMA's strike and to prosecute those who unilaterally canceled medical treatments.
President Yoon pointed out, "To achieve genuine medical reform, the opinions of the medical field are most important, and the participation of the medical community is necessary," adding, "I hope you will participate in the social consultative body, the Medical Reform Special Committee, and provide your opinions, rather than resorting to extreme methods that threaten patients' lives and health." He also requested medical students and residents to return to the medical field, saying, "Collective actions that abandon patients' suffering and pain are undesirable both personally and nationally," and promised, "The government will take all necessary measures to ensure you can continue your studies and training."
He emphasized that while the doctors' collective action is ongoing, the emergency medical system will be activated and medical reform will continue to be pursued. President Yoon said, "The Ministry of Health and Welfare should thoroughly review the emergency medical system once again in cooperation with local governments so that the public does not feel anxious due to confusion in the medical field," and added, "I hope the medical reform tasks can be implemented swiftly and effectively."
President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held on the 18th at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Furthermore, after completing a tour of three Central Asian countries last week, President Yoon evaluated the achievements, stating, "We have firmly established strategic partnerships centered on mineral resources, energy, and infrastructure with the three key countries in Central Asia and achieved concrete results." Starting with Turkmenistan on the 10th, President Yoon made state visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan consecutively and returned home early on the 16th.
President Yoon explained, "In Turkmenistan, which possesses vast energy resources, a cooperation agreement was signed between our companies and Turkmenistan's state-owned enterprises regarding gas fields and petrochemical plants," adding, "Our companies are about to secure orders worth billions of dollars soon, and we have deeply discussed additional large-scale orders." In Kazakhstan, a government-level Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on cooperation in the power industry was signed, securing a foundation for our companies to enter large projects such as power plant modernization and combined cycle gas power generation.
President Yoon stated, "In Uzbekistan, South Korea's first high-speed rail export contract was concluded, setting a new milestone for Korean-style high-speed rail to enter the global market," and emphasized, "We signed MOUs on core mineral supply chain cooperation with both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, establishing a full-cycle partnership covering exploration, development, refining, production, and utilization of key minerals such as uranium for nuclear fuel, lithium for secondary batteries, and molybdenum and tungsten for semiconductor materials." He added, "This also became an opportunity to secure firm support from Central Asian countries on the North Korean nuclear issue, the greatest security threat facing the Republic of Korea."
In particular, President Yoon mentioned that the norms of the international trade order are fundamentally shaken, and economic supply chains between countries and regions are becoming thoroughly segmented. He stressed, "We must accurately read the 'Great Game' that governs the global order and have a clear 'Grand Strategy' that we should pursue."
He also said, "We have made great efforts to expand the scope of South Korea's global pivotal diplomacy to the Central Asian stage and to secure a broader playing field where our companies and citizens can freely operate," urging all ministries to meticulously ensure that follow-up measures in each field of the tour are properly implemented.
Finally, regarding the strong earthquake of magnitude 4.8 that occurred on the 12th in Buan, Jeonbuk, President Yoon stated, "Now, no place in our country is safe from earthquakes," and instructed, "The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and related agencies should promptly prepare multifaceted measures, including nationwide fault investigations."
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