Handonghun: "Protecting Public Health Is a National Duty... The Party Must Convey Public Sentiment"

Handonghun Meets with Ruling Party Welfare Committee Members
No Knowledge of Yoon and Ruling Party Leadership Dinner Postponement

Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, said on the 28th regarding the signs of conflict with the Presidential Office over the issue of increasing medical school quotas for the 2026 academic year, "The nation's mission is to prioritize protecting the health and safety of the people. I think we just need to focus on what the correct answer is."

After meeting with ruling party members of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee at the National Assembly that day, Han responded to reporters who said, "There is an interpretation that the conflict between the legislative and executive branches is spreading to a conflict between the party and the government." Han especially emphasized, "The party must convey public sentiment and deliver opinions that align with the public sentiment."

Han recently proposed through Prime Minister Han Deok-soo to postpone the increase in medical school quotas for the 2026 academic year, but the Presidential Office rejected it. The proposal was based on the view that postponing the increase in medical school quotas is virtually the only alternative to address the qualitative decline in medical education and to bring back residents. However, the Presidential Office firmly stated that the issue of increasing medical school quotas is legally the government's responsibility and that the plan, established based on data, cannot be changed.

Regarding the postponement of the dinner between President Yoon Seok-yeol and party leadership, originally scheduled for the 30th, to after Chuseok, in response to a reporter's question, "Was only the floor leader line notified in advance?" Han replied, "I don't know about that, and I have not heard anything." This is interpreted to mean that Han's side did not receive prior information before the Presidential Office announced the postponement of the dinner schedule through a press release that day.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day, Han met with ruling party members of the Welfare Committee to share the current situation in the medical field related to medical reform and discuss countermeasures. Kim Mi-ae, the ruling party secretary of the Welfare Committee, explained to reporters after the meeting, "We freely expressed opinions about problems and various situations in the medical field, and it was not a meeting to reach any particular conclusion."

Regarding whether the postponement of the increase in medical school quotas for the 2026 academic year was discussed, Representative Kim said, "There was no specific mention of that," and added, "There was concern that the medical school quota issue might be perceived as escalating into a party-government conflict."