Rival party heads discuss pending issue in NA

PPP Chair Dong-hoon Han and DPK Chair Jae-Myung Lee will meet to seek consensus on how to resolve the medical gap

The leaders of PPP and DPK will hold a meeting at the National Assembly’s Main Building on September 1st, 2:00 p.m.

Han “Healthcare reform for the people...Resolving public anxiety is the mission of politicians”

Lee “Measures to address the medical crisis needs to be sought by ruling and opposition parties together in the National Assembly”

Dong-hoon Han, Chairman of the People Power Party, and Jae-Myung Lee, Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea met at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 1st and reached a consensus on resolving the parliamentary conflicts and medical gap.

 

Han mentioned the need to resolve the public's anxiety over the medical gap, while Lee suggested that the National Assembly seek a solution to the parliamentary conflict.

 

Although healthcare reform was not on the official agenda of the ruling and opposition parties' talks, due to the Corporal Chae’s Special Prosecutor Act, the abolition of the financial investment income tax, and the public KRW 250,000 support law, it was reportedly mentioned by Lee in the closed-door meeting.

 

“I would like to say that healthcare reform is also ultimately for the people,” Han said in his remarks, ”but it is also the task of us politicians to resolve the people's anxiety about the medical gap in the immediate future.” Han had previously proposed to the President's Office to suspend the increase in medical school enrollment for the 2026 academic year as an intervention.

 

However, the President's Office rejected the proposal and confirmed that the healthcare reform implementation plan, including the 2026 medical school enrollment quota, remains unchanged.

 

In his meeting with Lee, Han reaffirmed the need for an alternative solution to the healthcare gap.

 

“As party leader, I will make further efforts to address the concerns and anxieties of the people at this time while maintaining the essence and drive for the healthcare reform,” said Han.

 

In his remarks, Lee also said, “It is unfortunate that the healthcare crisis is not on the official agenda.

 

The medical crisis is linked to people's lives, which is why Mr.

 

Han proposed certain alternatives even at the risk of gathering conflict with the government.

 

It will not disappear just because we cover it with our palms and avoid it.” “I agree with the basic direction of healthcare reform, which is to increase the number of doctors and strengthen essential, public, and local medical care, as Mr.

 

Han said,” said Lee, ”but it is essential to have sufficient dialog and seek compromise among groups with conflicting interests in the policy implementation process.” “If you use force to force people to give in, even if you succeed, the aftermath and damage are too great,” he said.

 

”If the policy implementation is as harsh, urgent, and excessive as it is now, inevitable side effects would have to appear“ “These side effects have led to a crisis in one of the world's best healthcare systems, and the number of people dying in emergency rooms who shouldn't have is already exceeding last year's total.

 

We look forward to having sufficient dialogue with Mr.

 

Han about this issue.

 

First of all, let's seek a solution for the medical crisis in the National Assembly, the ruling and opposition parties together, through discussions and dialogues to accurately identify the current situation, recognize the problem, and reach a consensus.”