Yoon vows to respond sternly to doctors’ illegal collective action

Mar 07, 2024, 09:53 am

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President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the government complex in Sejong, south of Seoul, on March 6, 2024./ Source: Yonhap News

AsiaToday reporter Hong Sun-mi

President Yoon Suk-yeol warned on Wednesday that the government has “no choice but to respond sternly in accordance with the law and principles to illegal collective actions taking the people’s lives as hostage” in response to an ongoing doctors’ walkout.

Yoon made the remark during a Cabinet meeting at the government complex in Sejong, 113 kilometers south of Seoul. “The doctors’ collective action is an act of abandoning one’s duties by oneself and shakes the basis of the liberalism and constitutionalism,” he said.

Referring to Article 36 of the Constitution, which states that doctors have the obligation to observe the nation’s medical act so that public health is not endangered, Yoon said, “An illegal action that infringes upon the people’s right to life will never be tolerated.”

“The state grants licenses to doctors and strictly manages them in accordance with the law in order to protect the lives and health of the people,” he said. “That is why the freedom and rights of doctors come with responsibility.”

“Exclusive authority over medical practice is given with corresponding responsibility,” Yoon said. “The government’s response to such action is not aimed at repressing the doctors’ freedom or rights but at protecting the people’s right to life in line with Constitution.”

“The government will mobilize all resources to prevent the lives of the people from being threatened and to make sure there is no gap left in medical services,” the president said. Then he unveiled plans to finalize 128.5 billion won in emergency funds to help stably operate the emergency medical services. The funds are set to be used to inject healthcare workers for essential medical care services, to compensate such workers and treat patients.

“The illegal collective action of doctors continues for more than 15 days,” he said. “It is regrettable that they are turning a blind eye to the earnest appeal of the government as well as many people from different sectors including the medical, religious, patient, and disabled groups.”

“I will carefully check the situation and take care of the necessary measures,” he said.

#Yoon Suk-yeol #doctors