Disagreement Over Medical School Expansion Delays Dinner Between Yoon and Han Until After Chuseok: "Will Meet After Listening to Public Opinion"

South Korea Essentially Rejects Mediation Proposal
Presidential Office "No Change in Stance on Medical Reform"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is seen smiling and conversing with Han Dong-hoon, Chu Kyung-ho, Kim Jae-won, Na Kyung-won, and others during a dinner with the new leadership of the People Power Party and candidates for party president held on the 24th of last month at Pine Grass in front of the Yongsan Presidential Office in Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Blue House has postponed the dinner scheduled for the 30th between President Yoon Seok-yeol and Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, along with other ruling party leaders, to after Chuseok. While the official reason is to hold the dinner after fully listening to public sentiment during Chuseok, some analysts suggest that recent disagreements between Han and the Blue House over medical school quota expansion may have influenced the decision.

A Blue House official told reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 28th, "We postponed the dinner to create an opportunity to meet after hearing the public sentiment during Chuseok," adding, "Taking care of the public’s livelihood during Chuseok is the priority, so we delayed it." The official explained, "The Blue House requested to postpone first, and we consulted with the party mutually."

At the People Power Party’s workshop on the 29th, Blue House Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Cheol-ho, Senior Secretary for Social Affairs Jang Sang-yoon, and the Minister and Vice Minister of Health and Welfare plan to attend and discuss concerns about emergency room crises and medical reform. A Blue House official said, "It is a meeting where the party and government share specific details on key national issues."

Although the Blue House cited listening to public sentiment during Chuseok as the official reason for postponing the dinner, interpretations have emerged that recent conflicts between Han and the Blue House over the medical school quota expansion issue played a role. Han proposed a mediation plan to the government to suspend the expansion of medical school quotas for the 2026 academic year, but the Blue House effectively rejected it, stating that the existing policy remains unchanged. The Blue House official reiterated on the day, "The Blue House’s position on medical reform has not changed," dismissing Han’s proposal.

Han is expected to hold his first meeting with Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, in early next month to discuss the medical service gap crisis. Lee supports Han’s proposal to delay the medical school quota expansion. At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Lee said, "(The suspension of medical school quota expansion) is one of the unavoidable alternatives to overcome the current medical collapse crisis," and urged, "The government should not disregard this issue but deeply consider fundamental measures including this."

Despite being hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19, Lee called for an investigation into the medical crisis and the preparation of countermeasures. Following Lee’s directive from his hospital bed, the Democratic Party formed a 'Special Committee on Medical Crisis Measures.' On the 26th, Cho Seung-rae, chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party, told reporters, "Even while hospitalized, Lee communicated with party officials and exchanged opinions on forming the countermeasure body," adding, "(Lee) seems to have realized the seriousness of the situation by witnessing the hardships faced by medical staff while in the hospital."