Consultative council of ruling and opposition parties, medical professionals and government set to launch

[Anchor]

The People Power Party announced that it will launch a bipartisan council with medical professionals and the government to discuss the medical service gap issue on Nov. 11.

Even if the Democratic Party does not participate, they plan to start discussions with some medical organizations that have decided to join.

In the medical community, the vote on the impeachment motion for the president of the Korean Medical Association this weekend is expected to be a variable for participation in the council.

Hong Jin-ah reports.

[Report]

The conflict between the government and the medical community over the increase in medical school admissions has been ongoing for nine months.

The People Power Party has announced that it will launch a bipartisan council with medical professionals and the government to discuss solutions to the medical service gap on Nov. 11.

[Han Dong-hoon/Leader of the People Power Party: "I would like to announce that we are starting the launch of the bipartisan council with medical professionals and the government. There is no more urgent livelihood issue than the life and health of the people."]

If the opposition party does not participate, they plan to start discussions in the form of a consultative council consisting of ruling party, medical professionals, and the government.

The Democratic Party maintains its position that it will not join without the participation of residents, who are key stakeholders in the medical crisis.

The representative of the residents' organization stated, "I am confident that medical students will not return next year," and demanded discussions on halting the recruitment of new medical students for next year.

The Korean Medical Association and medical school professors are also withholding their decisions on participation in the council.

Only two organizations, the Korean Academy of Medical Science and the Korean Association of Medical Colleges, which had set the condition of 'approval for medical students' leave of absence,' have expressed their intention to participate.

[Lee Jin-woo/President of the Korean Academy of Medical Science: "I hope that the bipartisan council with medical professionals and the government will be officially launched by November 11 and that the medical crisis will be resolved well."]

Concerns are also being raised that it may become a 'half-hearted council.'

A variable is the extraordinary general meeting of the Korean Medical Association Organization that will be held the day before the council's launch.

This is because the motion of no confidence against President Lim Hyun-taek, who has been embroiled in conflicts with resident representatives and controversies over inappropriate remarks, and the formation of an emergency response committee will be discussed.

Some speculate that if President Lim is impeached and an emergency response committee is formed, the residents will participate, accelerating the discussions.

This is KBS News, Hong Jin-ah.