Only two medical organizations join consultative body; Residents call it meaningless

[Anchor]

As you just saw, this consultative body was launched with only two medical organizations participating, without the key players in the legislative conflict, the residents.

The residents' organization criticized that a dialogue without the parties involved is meaningless.

The issue of medical school quotas for next year is also a key point of contention.

Reporter Joo Hyun-ji reports.

[Report]

There are two medical organizations participating in the bipartisan consultative body.

They are the Korean Medical Association, which is responsible for resident training and education, and the Korean Association of Medical Colleges, a meeting of medical school deans.

[Lee Jin-woo/President of the Korean Medical Association: "If discussions do not begin, there is a sense of crisis that policies may go in the wrong direction due to a lack of communication between the government and the medical community, leading to an unprecedented collapse of the medical system."]

The residents' organization strongly criticized, stating, "A dialogue without the parties involved is meaningless."

They demanded that the representative of the People Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, clarify his stance on the suspension of medical school admissions in 2025 and the abolition of the work commencement order.

The medical school professors' organization, which had withheld participation in the consultative body, confirmed their willingness to engage in dialogue but expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the discussions.

[Kim Seong-geun/Spokesperson for the National Association of Medical Professors: "Even if something is hastily put together in terms of content, ultimately, it does not resolve the issue of the 2,000 increase in quotas that was initially mismanaged."]

The key question is whether they will discuss the medical school quotas for next year.

[Choi Chang-min/Chairman of the National Medical Professors Association' Emergergy Response Committee: "The important issue is the 2025 (medical school) quota. Although the government and the ruling party have mentioned it as if it will be addressed, seeing that it is not officially coming out... Without such discussions, the consultative body cannot last long."]

However, with the resignation of the Korean Medical Association president Lim Hyun-taek, who had been in conflict with the residents' organization, there are also predictions that the new leadership of the Korean Medical Association will negotiate with the government based on communication with the residents.

This is KBS News Joo Hyun-ji.