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Sticking to 2,000 is not the answer

Published: 01 Apr. 2024, 19:56

On Monday, President Yoon Suk Yeol solemnly read a prepared script on his administration’s medical reform crusade to increase the enrollment quota for medical schools. In the 51-minute speech, President Yoon allotted most of the time to explaining the grounds for increasing the quota by 2,000 per year. The president said the number is the minimum requirement, which was decided through a thorough calculation of the needs together with the medical community. He then stressed that his government cannot suspend or terminate the hike without convincing oppositions.

The president underscored the need for the medical community to present a unified option firmly based on science, not collective action. “If doctors propose a more reasonable alternative, our government can talk with the doctor groups with open mind,” he said, leaving room for dialogue with doctors with conditions attached.

But the presidential speech stopped short of easing deepening public concerns about a medical vacuum. In fact, many citizens expected a forward-looking change from the government to resolve the ongoing conflict between the government and doctors. We hope the government asks itself if its adherence to the 2,000 additions will really help resolve a medical crisis. The Korean Medical Association responded to Yoon’s speech by expressing “more disappointments than before.” The head-on clash between the government and doctors shows no sign of mitigation.

A noticeable change occurred in public opinion, too. In a recent Gallup Korea poll, 65 percent hoped for an adjustment to the 2,000 annual increase in the quota, while 31 percent wanted to keep the number. In an earlier poll by the same pollster, 47 percent supported the quota hike while 41 percent wanted a readjustment of the figure. The remarkable shift represents people’s deepening anxiety and fatigue from the protracted medical vacuum due to the collective walkout of trainee doctors from their hospitals.

Skepticism about the presidential speech was palpable even in the governing People Power Party (PPP). PPP interim leader Han Dong-hoon said he earnestly asked the government to have dialogue with doctors about broader issues and reach a conclusion for the general public quickly, as it is directly related to people’s health. A PPP candidate running in a Seoul district even demanded the president leave the party, after watching his live address.

The candidate’s demand certainly went too far. But the president must not dismiss the alarming change in public sentiment. We urge the government to turn away from focusing on the number of the quota hike and talk sincerely with the medical community over all possible agendas.