"Don't Eat Fish Jeon During Chuseok"… Doctor-Turned-Lawmaker's Advice and the Reason

"The Real Crisis Begins in Autumn When Respiratory Diseases Spread"

Ahead of the Chuseok holiday, Lee Ju-young, a doctor-turned-lawmaker from the Reform New Party, urged people to "refrain from trimming grass on ancestral graves and avoid eating fish pancakes during the Chuseok holiday." This advice comes amid a visible medical service gap caused by conflicts in the medical field, warning that it may be difficult to respond in emergency situations, so people should be cautious in their actions.

On the 9th, on JTBC's 'O Dae-young Live,' Rep. Lee said, "The infrastructure to respond to emergency medical situations has already collapsed," adding, "I also tell my family, 'Try not to travel far.' If a traffic accident happens, it might be difficult to find a hospital."

Lee Ju-young, a member of the Reform New Party, is being interviewed by Asia Economy at the National Assembly. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

He also added, "It would be better to refrain from trimming grass on ancestral graves if possible. Do not eat things like fish pancakes. Do not leave children alone. The situation is so dangerous that friends are exchanging these kinds of warnings."

Rep. Lee predicted that the medical service gap will worsen after Chuseok. He said, "There is a period when hospitals are crowded with patients, which is generally from autumn," and added, "In autumn, various respiratory diseases begin to spread indiscriminately among children and adults. Especially for the elderly and weak, even minor respiratory illnesses can progress to severe conditions, making it extremely dangerous."

He continued, "After autumn passes, the medical staff remaining on site will face irreversible burnout," and pointed out, "The departure of medical personnel will accelerate, and the biggest risk is that no doctor will dare to enter the field now."

Meanwhile, Rep. Lee is a doctor-turned-member of the National Assembly. Until early this year, just before his election, he worked for 10 years at the Pediatric Emergency Medical Center of Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital.