Meet at the Government/Physician Debate...Will it be an inflection point?

[Anchor]
With the parliamentary conflict running parallel for nearly eight months, the government and medical school professors' groups will meet for the first time in a long time tomorrow (10th) to open a dialogue.

Although it is difficult to expect great results, it is evaluated that the meeting itself is meaningful in that the two sides, who were facing each other, face each other and try to talk.

This is reporter Lee Moon-seok.

[Reporter]
The government and medical groups are meeting in public for the first time in a long time.

The government and the Seoul National University Medical School Professors' Council will hold a discussion session on "Medical Reform, Where Are We Going?"

On the government side, Jang Sang-yoon, senior presidential secretary for social affairs, and Chung Kyung-sil, head of the medical reform promotion team at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, will participate.

Kang Hee-kyung, chairman of the emergency committee of the Professors' Council, and Ha Eun-jin, an emergency committee member, will attend the medical school at Seoul National University.

At this meeting, the government plans to emphasize the need to increase the number of medical schools by 2,000.

The medical school proposed "medical education normalization measures" and "procedural justification of the medical policy-making process" as agendas.

This debate is drawing attention as it is held in a situation where legislative conflicts have been in place for nearly eight months.

In a recent parliamentary audit, Health and Welfare Minister Cho Kyu-hong said he would work harder to communicate with the medical community.

[Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong: The government is trying to consult with the medical community. (Rep. Han Ji-ah: Can you negotiate directly with the medical community?) Yes, I think it is possible.]

However, it seems difficult to expect a dramatic change in the situation.

Prior to the debate, the medical school said, "We are skeptical that the government's claim on the increase in medical schools will be fully explained through parliamentary audits and other measures, making it meaningful for further discussions."

Moreover, doctors who hold the key to solving the situation are not moving at all from the standpoint that they will not talk to the government without the 'cancellation of applications'.

However, even if the debate ends after confirming each other's arguments, it is said to be meaningful in itself in that at least the government and the medical community meet to open the door for dialogue.

I'm YTN's Lee Munseok.

Video editing: Joo Hye-min

Design: Jinho Kim