[비즈한국] When will the conflict between the government and the medical community over medical reform come to an end? The Gyeonggi Medical Association has been holding rallies along President Yoon Suk Yeol’s commute route since the 5th to demand a full review of the policy. However, criticism is mounting that the police are overly restricting rally participants, acting as if they are providing "protective shielding" for the President’s personal comfort. To see just how intense this has become, I observed the rally site firsthand on the 20th.
Even raised his hands to show… yet the Gyeonggi Medical Association president was still restrained
At 7 a.m. on the 20th, despite forecasts that the daytime high would reach 36 degrees Celsius, the "Urging Normalization of Medical School Education" rally began as scheduled. So Gun-ho, Vice President of the Gyeonggi Medical Association, who served as a speaker that day, held a picket and urged the government to reconsider its medical reform, stating, "Once healthcare collapses, it is not easy to reverse." Vice President So noted, "Residents who practiced essential specialties out of pride are leaving. The chaos beyond our imagination is a natural consequence," adding, "Because there is a sequential curriculum that must be learned grade by grade, even if second-year students advance next year, they will not be able to perform the work of third-year students. Ultimately, future generations will receive medical treatment with a diminished quality of care."
During the rally, which lasted for about three hours, physical altercations between participants and police occurred around the time President Yoon Suk Yeol was expected to commute. According to the Gyeonggi Medical Association, physical clashes with the police have been continuous since the rallies began on the 5th. On this day as well, around 9 a.m., about 40 police officers surrounded three participants who were holding microphones, informing them that "under the Presidential Security Act, there may be personal and physical restrictions." Lee Dong-wook, President of the Gyeonggi Medical Association, who was on the other side, raised his hands to show that "I have nothing that could be a threat to the President," but he was eventually pushed back into the inner side of the road by the security personnel.
Following this, Gyeonggi Medical Association President Lee Dong-wook said, "We are simply making an earnest appeal so that the children can go to school and study. If we remain silent, the fate of the 18,000 students who cannot return will be irreversible." He added, "Do you think it is appropriate to deploy a police station chief with the rank of superintendent and a large force of police for a small-scale rally? I will file a formal complaint with the Yongsan Police Station today." Participants responded with applause to remarks such as, "Is it really 'entering the hearts of the people' to move the official residence with tax money and then block rallies during the commute?" and "We will not stop these rallies until the students return to school."
“I supported President Yoon Suk Yeol, but now I am disappointed”
Lee Geum-ok (70), who said she started from Ilsan at 4 a.m. to participate in the rally, told the reporter, "It is not that we are against increasing the number of medical students, but we want it done gradually. We hope they will sufficiently listen to and review the opinions of the medical community, including specialists." She continued, "When former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae suspended then-Prosecutor General Yoon Suk Yeol from duty, I went out to protest even in the freezing winter, and I supported candidate Yoon Suk Yeol in the last presidential election. However, I am disappointed in the current actions of President Yoon, which are ruining the future of our young people. Everyone makes mistakes, so I hope he reflects on his behavior even now."
In an interview, Gyeonggi Medical Association President Lee Dong-wook stated, "In this current situation where the medical school quota issue is prolonged, the only person with the authority to resolve it is President Yoon Suk Yeol. We began these rallies to urge a resolution. We will not stop until the issue is solved." He added, "Over 18,000 students have been unable to attend school for seven months. The national loss is too great, and it is deeply regrettable that the police are unconditionally blocking our expression of opinion by seizing cameras and surrounding us with force at the rally site. I hope President Yoon shows the qualities of a leader who resolves the problems he created."
The Gyeonggi Medical Association expressed strong concern over the repeated physical clashes between participants and police. Kang Bong-soo, Secretary-General of the Gyeonggi Medical Association, stated, "At first, we intended to hold the rally only once or twice as a symbolic gesture. But as we clashed with the police day after day and were threatened, we changed our minds and decided to continue the protests." He claimed, "The person who helped on the first day had two ribs broken, and recently, some Gyeonggi Medical Association staff members injured their backs during confrontations with the police and are receiving medical treatment. At first, the police cited violations of the Assembly and Demonstration Act, but now they are obstructing the rallies by invoking the Presidential Security Act."
Secretary-General Kang said, "The police push and threaten rally participants while telling them, 'Don't hit me.' Without video, it makes it look like the participants are the ones causing trouble." He added, "Passersby have smartphones and cars have dashcams, so it is irrational for the police to demand that participants turn their cameras away by claiming that 'real-time broadcasts of the President's commute route increase terror threats.' We have been holding weekly rallies and hanging banners, but the government remains unresponsive. Given that the most important stance of the President remains unchanged, it seems the medical community's position is not being properly reported, so we will continue these rallies so that the President can see them for himself."