Han Dong-hoon: “Resolving the Situation by Considering Policy Shifts and Public Health”
Discussion on increasing medical school quotas, improving resident treatment, and revitalizing essential medical services.
On the 11th, the first meeting of the ‘Ruling and Opposition Legislative Council’, which was officially proposed by Han Dong-hoon, the representative of the People Power Party, on September 6th to resolve legislative-medical conflicts, was held at the National Assembly. Despite the absence of the opposition party and resident groups, the council had its inaugural meeting.
To emphasize the importance of the discussions, government officials such as Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Presidential Office Policy Chief Seong Tae-yoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho, and Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong participated. From the party, three-time elected members Man-hee Lee and Seong-won Kim, as well as first-term doctor-turned-politician Ji-ah Han, were included. Nine members from the medical community, including Korean Medical Association Chairman Jin-woo Lee and KAMC Chairman Jong-tae Lee, participated. The proposal initiator, Representative Han, and the policy chairman of the People Power Party, Sang-hoon Kim, also attended the first meeting.
In his opening remarks, Representative Han stated, “I believe the government will approach the situation with flexibility and a change in perspective. I hope the medical community will take strides forward, prioritizing public health.” He emphasized the party’s role as a catalyst for consultation and coordination, solely focused on the health of the public, especially as winter approaches, which could increase medical demand. He expressed a strong commitment to resolving conflicts and leading medical normalization before winter fully sets in.
However, with the absence of the Korea Resident Association, the opposition Democratic Party remained lukewarm in its participation. Consequently, discussions are expected to proceed temporarily in the form of a ‘government-party consultative council’.
Representative Han urged, “Although the Democratic Party has not participated yet, I believe that their initiative in initially proposing the council indicates goodwill.” He expressed optimism that they would soon join, saying, “Everyone here is waiting for and will always welcome the Democratic Party’s participation.”
The first meeting of the council addressed major agenda items such as the medical school quota issue, which ignited legislative-medical conflicts, the improvement of resident treatment, the revitalization of essential and regional medical services, and special provisions for medical malpractice immunity.