Vice President of Korean Medical Association Welcomes Impeachment of President Yoon

Park Dan (박단), the Vice President of the Korean Medical Association and representative of the resident doctors, expressed his strong approval of the Constitutional Court's decision to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol on April 4. In a post on Facebook, he stated, "He (President Yoon) has faced the judgment of the people."

Park criticized Yoon for making unilateral policy decisions that he claims have jeopardized the future of healthcare in South Korea, and for declaring martial law, which he believes caused chaos in governance. He recalled the fear instilled by the martial law declaration, particularly the order that mandated all medical professionals, including residents, to return to work within 48 hours or face punishment under martial law.

Reflecting on a meeting he had with President Yoon exactly one year prior, Park noted that it occurred 45 days after resident doctors left their posts in response to the government's announcement of an increase in medical school admissions. After a 140-minute discussion, he had posted on Facebook that "there is no future for healthcare in South Korea."

In his recent post, he reiterated this sentiment, stating, "It has been exactly one year since I visited the presidential office to meet with Yoon Suk-yeol to resolve conflicts between the government and the medical community. The time of wasteful and prolonged conflict must come to an end. Now is the time for recovery. The current government must immediately halt all healthcare policies implemented unilaterally by Yoon Suk-yeol."

Park urged the government to adopt a more flexible and responsible approach to rebuild trust with the medical community and expressed hope for constructive dialogue to resolve the ongoing crisis, looking forward to a new hope for healthcare in South Korea.