Government is 'flexible' on med school quota issue, prime minister says

Prime Minster Han Duck-soo speaks to Yonhap News Agency in an interview at his residence in central Seoul on Sunday. [YONHAP]

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Sunday that the government remains “flexible” regarding the medical school admission quota issue amid the ongoing walkout of junior doctors in protest of the proposed boost.

Junior doctors nationwide began going on strike on Feb. 20 in response to the government’s plan to hike the medical school admission quota by 2,000 starting next year.

Han told Yonhap News Agency that “the government showed a clear stance that it will not bury itself in the numbers” regarding the admission quota.

“The government holds a flexible stance toward all issues, including the medical school admission quota issue,” Han said.

Han expressed his hope to talk with doctors, as the government takes a “flexible” stance. He added that “if the medical sector is having difficulty reaching a unified proposal, a presidential committee could be formed for discussions.”

He called Thursday's meeting between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Park Dan, the head of the junior doctors’ group Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA), "meaningful."

Last Thursday, Yoon met with Park face-to-face to narrow their differences, though the two failed to close the gap.

The presidential office said that Yoon would “respect the voices of the junior doctors” as his administration pursues medical reform, while Park wrote on Facebook that “the Korean health care sector has no future” on Thursday evening.

The prime minister said that “Park is a very adequate figure to represent the junior doctors’ group” and “such a figure meeting the president and starting a discussion is to be seen as very meaningful.”

“Following the meeting, the government is keeping an open mind and putting in various efforts to hold talks with different figures from the medical sector.”

Han said that the government "plans to form a social consultative body as soon as possible to discuss the overall medical reform, including the medical school quota.”

Han also expressed his regret regarding ER patients failing to receive treatment due to the ongoing collective actions from doctors.

“I feel sorry for those who returned home without getting proper treatment,” Han said, vowing to bolster the medical system through the medical reform.

The government pledged to increase medical school enrollment to address the nation's shortage of doctors, especially in rural areas and less popular fields, early this year, which caused thousands of junior doctors to leave their positions in a nationwide walkout to show their disagreement with the government’s decision.

On Sunday evening, the nation’s largest doctors’ group, the Korea Medical Association (KMA) emergency committee, referred to Thursday’s meeting between President Yoon and Park as “meaningful,” after they held a three hour meeting from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

It added that “the committee once again clarifies that it supports the positions of junior doctors and medical students and will speak alongside them.”

The committee also noted that it will hold a joint press conference with medical professors, junior doctors and medical students after the April 10 general election, covering issues such as the government’s request for the medical sector to come up with a proposal.

Kim Sung-geun, head of public relations for the KMA’s emergency committee, said that the medical sector’s request is to discuss the enrollment hike again, starting from the beginning.

“We interpret Han’s statement as not insisting on the increase of 2,000,” Kim said, mentioning Han's interview. “However, even though the government says that it is open to change regarding the number 2,000, it never stopped its administrative process. Only when the government shows its sincerity by stopping the process will junior doctors and medical students return to their original positions.”

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]