Doctors' group thanks President Lee as government-doctor relations begin to thaw

Frosty relations between the government and the medical community are thawing.

After President Lee Jae Myung called for follow-up measures on medical students’ decision to return, the Korean Medical Association (KMA) immediately expressed its gratitude. This was unheard of under the previous administration when the government-doctor conflict reached its climax.

In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, the nation’s largest doctors’ group said it was “deeply grateful,” referring to President Lee's remarks at a cabinet meeting earlier in the day where he welcomed the return of medical students and instructed relevant ministries to take follow-up and complementary measures.

“We deeply agree with the president's words to closely examine the gaps in reginal, essential, and emergency medical care and urgently prepare complementary measures,” the KMA said.

Physicians will also actively cooperate to ensure that the right policies and systems are in place, it added.

The organization also made it clear that the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration is responsible for the conflict.

“This was a social disaster caused by the Yoon administration's arbitrary decisions and policy failures,” the association said. “The aftermath has led to the suspension of medical education and junior doctors’ training, as well as the collapse of medical fields, forcing people across the country to experience anxiety and inconvenience directly.”

"Now is the time to rebuild the future on top of the wounds. It's time for unity and recovery, not conflict and disconnection," the association said, emphasizing the urgent need to normalize healthcare as soon as possible. "We need a system of discussion, an environment where expert opinions are respected, and an environment where we can act without hesitation to save lives."

The KMA would like to express its sincere gratitude to the people for their silent endurance in the long tunnel of the medical crisis, it added.