"Stop Yoon Government's Medical Reform" Civic Groups Protest... Patients Oppose Medical Accident Immunity

Criticism Mounts Over "Unconstitutional Privileges for Doctors"

There is growing backlash among civic groups and patients over the government's second phase of healthcare reform implementation plans. In particular, the proposed improvements to the criminal system specialized for medical accidents have been criticized as "granting unconstitutional non-prosecution privileges to doctors."

On the 19th, the Special Committee on Healthcare Reform (Uigae Special Committee) announced the second phase of healthcare reform implementation plans, focusing on ▲ fostering regional secondary hospitals ▲ reforming non-covered and indemnity insurance ▲ establishing a safety net for medical accidents.

On the morning of the 19th, near the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul, participants hold related hand placards at the press conference condemning the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's promotion of medical privatization, hosted by the Free Medical Movement Headquarters and others. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Prior to the announcement, the 'Free Healthcare Movement Headquarters,' consisting of over 40 organizations including the Health and Medical Organizations Coalition, issued a statement criticizing the reform plan as a "plan for healthcare privatization and commercialization," saying it lacks key elements such as expanding public healthcare, state responsibility for training and deploying public doctors, which are essential to solving the collapse of regional and essential medical services.

They further urged the suspension of the policy, stating, "With the president's duties suspended and impeachment imminent, the active operation of a presidential advisory body itself is mocking the people."

Hong Seok-hwan, Policy Director of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, argued, "To resolve the problems of the healthcare system triggered by market failure, a healthcare reform centered on public healthcare must be proposed. However, there is no plan to establish public hospitals, and the reform of indemnity insurance appears only as a measure to improve insurance companies' profits, making the reform efforts inappropriate."