South Korea's government has announced a compromise in its medical reform plans in a bid to end a two-month walkout by doctors, and also said President Yoon Suk Yeol would meet the opposition leader for the first time after two years in office.

Seoul

South Korea's government has announced a notable shift in its medical reform plans, aiming to resolve a two-month-long walkout by doctors. This change includes a compromise that will allow major state medical school deans to set new admissions quotas for 2025, as confirmed by Prime Minister Han Deok-su. This decision opens the door for the normalization of education, protection of medical students, and an end to the ongoing dispute.

Adding to the government's move toward conciliation, it was also revealed that President Yoon Suk Yeol plans to meet with the opposition leader. This scheduled meeting, the first of its kind in two years since Yoon took office, follows what has been termed a crushing election defeat for his ruling party. This encounter comes after criticism of Yoon's reluctance to engage with parliamentary leaders and amidst a standoff with physicians that became focal points in the recent legislative elections.

Prime Minister Han disclosed that the government's willingness to adjust the medical reform plans came as part of efforts to bridge differences following the legislative elections' outcomes. The modification involves scaling back the planned increase in medical school admissions quotas and granting universities the autonomy to set their quotas. This is a departure from the prior ambition to expand the number of new medical students by 2,000 yearly starting from the next year, aiming to introduce 10,000 additional physicians by 2035.

In response to the government’s announcement, the association representing South Korea's trainee doctors has not yet provided an official comment. However, protesting doctors have previously stated their position that there is no shortage of doctors within the healthcare sector. They argue that the government’s plan inadequately addresses concerns regarding pay and working conditions. As of the latest updates, President Yoon's office has yet to issue a response to inquiries about the changes to the medical reform plans.



South Korea government to compromise on medical reforms

In a bid to end a two-month walkout by doctors, South Korea's government announced a compromise in its medical reform plans on Friday. The government accepted a proposal by major state medical school deans to let them set new admissions for 2025, Prime Minister Han Deok-su said. The government has made a bold decision by proactively accepting the state-funded university's deans' recommendations were hoping to create a chance to protect medical students, normalize education and resolve the dispute. It also said that President Yoon Seok-yool would meet the opposition leader for the first time after two years in office. The conciliatory moves followed a crushing election defeat for Yoon's ruling party last week. Yoon's refusal to communicate with parliamentary leaders and the standoff with doctors were key issues in last week's legislative elections. To compromise, Han said he accepted a proposal to scale back the increase in the medical school admissions quota and to give universities flexibility in setting their quotas. This was the first shift from the government's plan to increase new medical student admissions by 2,000 a year from next year. It will eventually add 10,000 more physicians by 2035. Following the government's announcement, the association representing the country's trainee doctors said it had no information to share. However, the protesting physicians have said that the healthcare sector is not short of doctors and that the government's plan falls short of addressing pay and working conditions properly. Yoon's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the change in the medical reform plans.

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