[News Today] TWO MEDICAL GROUPS TO JOIN DIALOGUE

[LEAD]
Amid ongoing healthcare policy deadlock now in its ninth month, two medical associations have agreed to join the four-way consultative body including the government. However, trainee doctors and medical students have refused to participate, dismissing the consultation body as superficial.

[REPORT]
The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences and the Korean Association of Medical Colleges have agreed to participate in a four-way dialogue on health care reform involving rival political parties, the government and the medical community.

They are the first among doctors groups to take part in the consultation body proposed by politicians a month ago.

The two groups said they can no longer ignore the healthcare collapse caused by wrong policy decisions.

Lee Jin-woo/ President, Korean Academy of Medical Sciences
There's no sign or hope of resolution while wrong policies are implemented in the medical field. We hope to fix those problems by taking part in the talks.

As conditions for their participation, the groups laid out five terms including approval of medical students' leave of absence request and discussion on the medical school admissions quota hike including the quota for next year.

They emphasized that the leave of absence approval is a very strong precondition.

Lee Jong-tae / President, Korean Association of Medical Colleges
Leave of absence approval is a condition for our participation as medical students can face expulsion or academic failure.

Rival parties and the government welcomed their participation and are making preparations to launch the dialogue.

Meanwhile opinions are split among medical groups who have consistently boycotted the session.

Some are skeptical over the talks' effectiveness as long as the government remains unchanged in its stance on the quota hike.

The Korean Medical Association said it respects the two groups' decision but reiterated it will not be taking part at the moment.

Groups representing medical professors had mixed views.

Trainee doctors and medical students, the main actors in the prolonged dispute with the government, said via a social media post that they have no intent to join a dialogue that lacks substance.