Yoon vetoes controversial Nursing Act

President Yoon Suk Yeol presides over a Cabinet meeting at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul on Tuesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday vetoed a controversial nursing bill that defines the roles and responsibilities of nurses.

This marks Yoon's second veto of a bill, followed by one against an amendment to the Grain Management Act last month.

During a Cabinet meeting Tuesday morning, Yoon vetoed the newly legislated Nursing Act that has been arousing fierce tensions between doctors and nurses. The decision came just 20 days since the bill passed in the National Assembly.

"The Nursing Act is causing excessive conflicts between related occupations," Yoon said.

"[The legislation of] nursing services outside medical institutions are arousing insecurity on people's health."

Once a bill is returned to the National Assembly, it must be approved by two-thirds of lawmakers present, with a quorum being filled, to pass again.

However, it is unlikely the Nursing Act will pass again as the People Power Party (PPP) fills 115 parliamentary seats out of 300.

The bill was pushed through the National Assembly on April 27 by the Democratic Party, which holds more than half of the legislature's 300 seats.

"It is highly regretful that such social conflicts and anxiety [of people] were not resolved through comprehensive discussions between occupations and deliberation of the parliament," Yoon added.

The Nursing Act, which stipulates "all citizens are entitled to nursing care at medical institutions and in local communities," led doctors to go on partial strikes after the bill was passed, concerned that such a bill would allow nurses to practice medicine independently and even open clinics due to the inclusion of the term "local communities."

The current Medical Service Act states that nurses should perform healthcare services under the guidance of physicians.

Other medical staff, including certified nursing assistants, have also been protesting the bill, arguing that the legislation privileges nurses.

Nurses have been calling for a separate law defining their roles and responsibilities, as the ambiguity of the current law has led them to perform duties outside of their jobs.

As the conflict continued, Health and Welfare Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said Monday that he will officially ask the president to veto the bill.

"A thorough consideration is needed for bills that arouse big social conflicts," Cho said.

The government and the PPP also announced on Sunday that they will officially ask Yoon to veto the bill "unilaterally approved by the opposition party last month."

On Friday, some 100,000 nurses and nursing students gathered in commemoration of International Nurses Day in Jongno District, central Seoul, asking for the promulgation of the Nursing Act.

"The Nursing Act is a law for the public and a promise to the people," Kim Young-kyung, president of the Korean Nurses Association, was quoted as saying, adding that the bill was one of Yoon's campaign pledges.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]