[Column] The 'Uihakhoe' That Became a Figurehead Based on Mere Expectations

On the evening of the 22nd, when the Korean Medical Association and the Korean Association of Medical Colleges and Medical Schools (KAMC) expressed their willingness to participate in the ruling and opposition parties' medical council, a senior figure in the medical community who met them sighed, saying, "Residents and medical students will immediately oppose this, and the Democratic Party will also promptly declare non-participation. It is practically no different from a breakdown." He added, "I understand the mindset with which the two organizations decided to participate in the council, but without a change in the government's stance, dialogue will not be easy."

The launch of the ruling and opposition parties' medical council, which seemed to be gaining momentum following the participation announcements from some medical organizations, is facing difficulties again. This is because the government is not accepting the precondition set for participation: 'approval of medical students' leave of absence before the council's establishment.' The thoughts of these organizations, as directly heard by the reporter, did not go far beyond a "things will somehow work out" level. Lee Jin-woo, president of the Korean Medical Association, said, "If you think it won't work, nothing works; if you think it will, everything works," adding, "I believe (the leave of absence approval) will be granted." Lee Jong-tae, chairman of KAMC, asserted as a matter of course that "approval of medical students' leave of absence is university autonomy guaranteed by the Constitution." It seems they overlooked how difficult it is to overturn the government's existing policy, which is the medical community's demand.

The ruling party, which has been promoting the medical council, was no different. When asked whether they planned to persuade the government, Kim Sang-hoon, policy chief of the People Power Party, said, "In the case of Seoul National University, the government views the independent decision made without prior consultation negatively, but I understand the government is also considering approving the leave of absence," offering only a positive outlook.

However, it did not take long for the vague "expectations" and "obviousness" to collapse. Just one day after they expressed their willingness to participate in the council, the Ministry of Education drew a clear line, stating, "Alliance leave of absence is not a legitimate reason for leave. There is no change in the policy regarding leave of absence approval."

As a result, the formation of the council is increasingly likely to become a non-event. Residents and medical students, who hold the key to resolving the issue, were greatly disappointed in their senior medical professionals. Other medical organizations, such as the Emergency Response Committee of Medical School Professors (Jeon-ui-bi) and the National Association of Medical School Professors (Jeon-ui-gyo-hyeop), fearing greater backlash, also withheld participation in the council. The Democratic Party, on the surface, declared non-participation in the council, citing the reason that "an organization representing residents should participate."

The Korean Medical Association and KAMC anticipated the opposition from residents and medical students from the beginning. Although the organizations' positions could become difficult, they believed that if rational discussions proceeded, residents and medical students would join. In the end, the two organizations have received nothing but criticism, such as being called "political stooges." The current medical council crisis is not a situation that can be resolved with vague expectations. At the very least, internal opinions within the medical community must be gathered to maintain balance, and behind-the-scenes negotiations with the political sphere must be conducted.