Will the Yoon-Han Conflict Recur? Sharp Disagreement Over 'Medical School Enrollment Increase Postponement'

Conflicts and Reconciliations Repeated Monthly Since January
Han Dong-hoon: "National Duty, Public Health Is Top Priority"
Presidential Office: "No Talk of Increasing Staff"
Yoon and Ruling Party Leaders' Dinner Postponed... Han: "Cannot Enter Separately"

The so-called 'Yoon-Han conflict,' referring to the confrontation between President Yoon Suk-yeol and People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon, is showing signs of reemerging over the postponement of the increase in medical school quotas for the 2026 academic year. Leader Han expressed the need to postpone the increase in medical school quotas, but the presidential office publicly opposed this, stating that the responsibility for securing medical personnel legally lies with the government and that the increase in doctors should proceed as planned for medical reform.

After meeting with ruling party members of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, Leader Han responded to reporters who said, "There is an interpretation that the conflict between the medical community and the government is spreading to a conflict between the party and the government," by saying, "The nation's mission is to protect the health and safety of the people first and foremost. We should just think about what the right answer is." He added, "The party must convey public sentiment and deliver opinions that align with it."

The postponement of the increase in medical school quotas is intended as the virtually only alternative to address the qualitative decline in medical education and to bring residents back. Accordingly, Leader Han proposed to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on the 25th, right after a high-level party-government meeting, to postpone the increase in medical school quotas for the 2026 academic year, but the presidential office rejected the proposal.

This is not the first time that President Yoon or the presidential office and Leader Han have clashed. Since Leader Han took office as the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party in December last year, he and the presidential office have repeatedly expressed opposing views on specific issues, resulting in cycles of conflict and reconciliation.

Repeated Conflicts and Reconciliations Since January

President Yoon Suk-yeol is shaking hands with Han Dong-hoon, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, at the site of the fire at Seocheon Special Market in Seocheon-eup, Seocheon-gun, Chungnam Province on January 23.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

As the emergency committee chairman leading the general election in January, Leader Han referred to Kim Geon-hee’s luxury handbag acceptance as "an issue to be considered from the public’s perspective." When Kim Kyung-yul, an emergency committee member, was unexpectedly introduced as a candidate for Mapo-eul, pro-Yoon faction lawmakers and the presidential office criticized it as 'sacheon' (secret nomination) and demanded his resignation. Leader Han immediately refused to resign, showing conflict. However, just two days after the resignation demand, on January 23rd afternoon, President Yoon and Leader Han met at the site of the Seocheon Specialized Market fire for a joint inspection, and Kim declared he would not run in the February general election, showing signs of reconciliation.

The second clash occurred in March. Leader Han demanded the early return of former Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop, who had been appointed ambassador to Australia, and the resignation of former Senior Secretary for Civil Society Hwang Sang-moo, who made a threatening remark involving a knife against journalists. The presidential office stated that President Yoon did not agree to Lee’s early return and denied the resignation rumors about Hwang. However, with about 20 days left before the general election and concerns that discord between the party and government could lead to electoral defeat, President Yoon accepted Hwang’s resignation, and Lee returned. On March 22nd, President Yoon and Leader Han met again at the West Sea Defense Day ceremony held at Pyeongtaek Naval Base, receiving a briefing on the Cheonan ship sinking incident, marking another step toward reconciliation.

After Leader Han announced his candidacy for the party leadership election on June 23rd and proposed the third-party special prosecutor law for Cha Sang-byeong as part of his pledge, the pro-Yoon faction and the presidential office expressed opposition. Among pro-Yoon lawmakers, there was a reaction asking, "Are you trying to impeach the president?" A presidential office official countered, saying, "President Yoon’s position is to request a special prosecutor only if the investigation by investigative agencies is insufficient." Later, it was revealed that Leader Han did not reply to a text message from Kim Geon-hee apologizing for the luxury handbag acceptance during the general election period in January, which became a hot issue in the party leadership election.

Recently, Leader Han and the presidential office clearly differed in their positions regarding the reinstatement of former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo. On the 13th, Leader Han told reporters that many people would find it difficult to sympathize with the decision to reinstate Kim as a special pardon on Liberation Day. It is known that Leader Han told some individuals, "Many citizens cannot sympathize with reinstating someone who has not reflected on crimes that destroy democracy and telling them to engage in politics."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is inspecting the sunken Cheonan warship together with Han Dong-hoon, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, after the 9th West Sea Defense Day ceremony held on March 22 at the Navy 2nd Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Presidential Office Officially Opposes Han’s Proposal... Dinner Between Yoon and Han Also Postponed

The presidential office officially expressed opposition to Leader Han’s proposal. A senior presidential official said in the afternoon, "It is equivalent to saying not to increase the number of doctors. If postponed, there will be significant confusion in the admissions field due to uncertainty," and dismissed Leader Han’s proposal, saying, "If we yield on matters directly related to the lives and health of the people, it could lead to a situation where politics and policy become difficult, and it would be hard to call this a normal country."

He added, "The quotas for the 2026 academic year were allocated and announced by each university at the end of April. Currently, students in the second year of high school, examinees, and parents are preparing with this goal in mind. If discussions and postponements occur again before the ink is dry, it will be difficult for students and parents to accept."

Regarding the postponement of the 2026 medical school quota increase, he said, "Park Dan, the emergency committee chairman of the Korean Intern Resident Association, also expressed that he would not return or make a progressive decision on that alternative," and "The Korean Medical Association is demanding the dismissal or removal of government officials who pushed the medical school quota increase policy," pointing out, "It is a persistent, structural resistance from interest groups despite knowing that there are structural problems causing public anxiety and inconvenience." This was interpreted as criticizing Leader Han’s perception, targeting the case of Park, whom Han met privately on the 20th.

The dinner scheduled for the 30th between President Yoon, Leader Han, and other ruling party leaders was also postponed. The presidential office explained that preparing measures for people’s livelihoods takes priority over dining with the leadership before the Chuseok holiday, but political circles interpreted this as the presidential office expressing displeasure. Moreover, while the floor leader Choo’s side was notified of the dinner postponement on the morning of the day, Leader Han’s side was reportedly not informed separately. After meeting with People Power Party members of the Health and Welfare Committee, Leader Han told reporters, when asked if only the floor leader’s line was notified in advance about the dinner postponement, "I don’t know about that, and I haven’t heard anything separately."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is leaving the event venue after greeting People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon at the 2024 Culture Future Report hosted by Munhwa Ilbo, held on the 27th at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]