Yeo Leader's 'Private Meeting Request', Yoon-Han Different Visions on Medical School Quota Solution

Key Issues Like Legislative-Executive Conflicts Remain Divided
Yongsan's Calculations Vary Over the Practical Benefits of 'Private Meeting'

President Yoon Suk-yeol is shaking hands with Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party, who came to see him off as he departs from Seongnam Seoul Airport on the 19th for an official visit to the Czech Republic.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

As President Yoon Suk-yeol and Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, prepare for a dinner meeting on the 24th, a power struggle is ongoing between the Blue House and Han. Although Han requested a private meeting with President Yoon during tomorrow evening’s dinner, the firm differences between Yoon and Han on one of the major issues?the reconsideration of the 2025 medical school enrollment increase?make it unlikely that the meeting will yield the expected results.

A Blue House official stated on the 23rd regarding Han’s request for a private meeting, “Since the dinner is scheduled for tomorrow, we need to observe the situation a bit longer.” The official added, “More than twenty people, including the People Power Party leadership and senior secretaries of the Blue House at the level of chief secretaries or above, will attend the dinner, where a wide range of topics, not only medical reform but also various livelihood issues, will be discussed.” This ambiguous response neither confirmed nor denied Han’s request, indicating that Yongsan is taking a wait-and-see approach.

Another Blue House official left some room for possibility, saying, “Given that there have been precedents of private meetings between President Yoon and Han Dong-hoon during past encounters, the possibility of a sudden private meeting between Yoon and Han before or after the dinner with the entire ruling party leadership cannot be completely ruled out.” However, since their views on key issues such as medical-government conflicts remain parallel and unresolved, it is understood that Yongsan is deeply considering whether to hold the private meeting, weighing its limited practical benefits.

Han’s request for a private meeting before the dinner is interpreted as reflecting a sense of urgency to break the political deadlock that has gripped the ruling party and government recently. Since being elected party leader with 63% support at the July 23 party convention, Han has focused all efforts on livelihood policies such as the financial investment income tax and the formation of a ruling-opposition-medical-government consultative body but has yet to produce concrete results. Furthermore, tensions have persisted as Han and the Blue House have voiced differing opinions on issues ranging from the third-party special prosecutor law for Cha Sang-byeong, the Kim Geon-hee matter, to the medical-government conflict. Analysts suggest that the discord between the ruling party and government, without demonstrating “Han Dong-hoon-style leadership,” is causing a simultaneous decline in support for President Yoon and the ruling party.

The ongoing medical-government conflict without resolution is also a crisis for Han. Han has concentrated his political efforts on persuading medical professionals and representatives of medical organizations directly, emphasizing that once the ruling-opposition-medical-government consultative body is formed, all agenda items, including the 2025 medical school enrollment increase, can be discussed without restrictions. On the other hand, the government opposes this, arguing that the 2025 academic year’s early admissions process has already begun, making changes practically impossible. As the ruling party and government remain at an impasse, there is a possibility that the Democratic Party of Korea may take the lead on this issue. It is reported that Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, met with Im Hyun-taek, president of the Korean Medical Association, and other medical association leaders the day before, urging the government to take a more open stance and proposing that at least the ruling party, opposition, and medical community form a consultative table.

A key ruling party official said, “From Han’s perspective, with low approval ratings and growing internal crisis within the People Power Party, a change in atmosphere is urgently needed. Securing a private meeting could be a card to highlight his personal presence. However, for President Yoon, who firmly holds the position that the medical school enrollment adjustment is not possible, it will be a difficult decision because it risks reinforcing an image of poor communication.”