PM Hopes for Dialogue Between Government and Doctors Amid Prolonged Rift

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo met with university presidents and deans of major medical schools and expressed his desire for the government and the doctors to hold talks.

Han met with representatives of the medical schools and related educational agencies at the Seoul National University’s Yeongeon Campus on Tuesday, where he vowed the government will actively engage in dialogue with the relevant educational communities and work together to resolve the protracted issue.

The prime minister stressed that many citizens and patients are worried about doctors walking off their jobs, adding that he believes the public wants constructive dialogue to be held.

He noted the difficulty in pursuing dialogue due to the lack of an official communication channel, making it challenging to properly convey the government’s stance.

It marks the first time the government held talks with the heads of major medical schools since its announcement of the medical school admissions quota hike plan.