Impeachment Support Rate Higher Than the 77% Revealed in the Midterm Tally
Im Hyun-taek, president of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), has escaped an impeachment crisis.
According to the medical community on the 27th, the number of members with voting rights who agreed to the no-confidence survey for President Im Hyun-taek, which concluded that afternoon, reportedly did not exceed the required threshold of "one-quarter of all voting members (14,500 members)" needed to propose a no-confidence motion.
Last month, KMA delegates Cho Byung-wook and Cho Hyun-geun initiated a survey asking members whether they supported a no-confidence vote against President Im, stating that "since the start of President Im's term, the KMA has failed to properly respond to issues such as increasing medical school quotas, the essential medical package, the Nursing Act, and fee negotiations."
The delegates planned to submit the no-confidence motion to the delegate council if the number of voting members agreeing in the survey exceeded 14,500. However, since the number fell short, the submission was canceled. Nevertheless, the approval rate was reported to have risen above the 77% revealed in the interim tally.
However, President Im has not completely escaped the impeachment threat. Since a no-confidence motion can also be proposed with the consent of more than one-third of the total delegates, there remains a possibility of it being pursued within the delegate council.
Meanwhile, detailed results of the no-confidence survey are expected to be released early next month.
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