Seoul: The ruling People Power Party (PPP) announced plans to launch a consultative body next week involving the government, doctors, and the main opposition party to address the ongoing walkout by trainee doctors. Despite the Democratic Party’s (DP) reluctance to join, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon emphasized that the initiative would proceed as scheduled on Monday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the PPP and the government initially proposed the four-way consultative body in September to discuss a medical reform plan aimed at increasing the medical school admissions quota to approximately 2,000 annually over the next five years. While the DP agreed in principle, their commitment waned due to the absence of trainee doctors in the discussions.
Thousands of trainee doctors have been on a mass resignation since February, demanding a comprehensive review of the proposed increase in medical school admissions. The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences and the Korea Association of Medical Colleges have agreed to partici
pate in the consultative body, but the Korea Medical Association, the largest group of doctors in the country, is boycotting the initiative. They insist that the government must abandon the admissions quota hike plan before any meaningful dialogue can occur.