As Cabinet picks go public, can next health minister resolve med school crisis?
For the first time, the South Korean government is allowing ministers and vice ministers to be directly nominated by the public — with the task of finding a health minister who can normalize government relations with doctors at the center of attention.
High-profile names have been put forward, with last year's bruising standoff over medical school quotas and health care reform still not fully resolved.
Among the leading contenders for the health minister position include trauma surgeon and director of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital Lee Guk-jong, whose name was also the first to emerge in the public recommendation process, under the official endorsement of the Busan Medical Association.
Lee, who acquired the nickname of the 'hero of the Gulf of Aden' when he saved the life of Seok Hae-gyun, a Korean ship captain who was shot by Somali pirates during an anti-piracy operation in 2011. In 2017, Lee was also credited with leading the emergency treatment of a North Korean soldier who sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
A vocal critic of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's medical school reforms, Lee is regarded as one of Korea's key authorities in trauma surgery, spending years on the front lines of essential health care, such as serving as head of the Southern Gyeonggi Trauma Center.
Within the medical community, Lee is seen as a practitioner who understands frontline realities and could bring hands-on insight into policymaking, with his high public favorability also considered as a major asset.
In a statement Friday, the Medical Professors Association of Korea said the need to appoint a qualified health minister is more important than ever at a time when "the foundations of medical education and the health care system are collapsing."
"Before it is too late, we must halt the collapse of the national health care system and restore it," the statement read. "Resolving the current situation is extremely urgent and should be among the highest priorities of national policy."
Others step into spotlight
Former head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Jeong Eun-kyeong is also considered as a strong contender for the health minister post.
Jeong, who led Korea's response during the COVID-19 pandemic as the country's disease control chief, continues to hold high public trust over her past leadership.
However, whether Jeong will take the offer is unclear. According to local media reports, Jeong has expressed a desire to return to academia multiple times and has reportedly declined recent offers.
In the political sphere, Jeon Hyun-hee, a senior member of the Democratic Party of Korea, has also been recently mentioned.
While Lee Guk Jeong is known for his strengths in frontline medical care and Jeong Eun-kyeong is known for her leadership during the pandemic, Jeon is seen to be something like a 'hybrid' candidate, with background experience in law and political affairs.
A former dentist and lawyer, Jeon previously served as the chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, demonstrating experience in public administration as well as medicine.
According to Lee Jae-myung's spokesperson Kang Yu-jung on Wednesday, up to 11,324 referrals have been submitted to the presidential office by the public as of Tuesday. The ministerial post for the Ministry of Health and Welfare drew the second-highest number of nominations, while the Justice Minister position saw the largest number of nominations.
Other names reportedly under consideration include Yang Sung-il, former first vice minister of health, who is viewed to hold strengths in executing welfare policies. Rep. Kang Cheong-hee, head of the Democratic Party's special health committee and professor at Yonsei University's College of Medicine, is also cited for his extensive experience with the National Health Insurance Service and the Health Ministry.
The presidential office will be taking recommendations for Cabinet ministers, vice ministers and heads of state-run institutions until June 16.
Recommendations filed to the National Human Resources Database will then be organized into a shortlist by the presidential office through a vetting process, in which the presidential secretary for civil service discipline will participate.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
5 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Suicides increased last year, but attempt survivors at ER decreased: report
Fewer survivors than before were hospitalized after suicide attempts in 2024, raising suspicion that a substantial number were turned away by ERs The number of suicide deaths in 2024 increased compared to the previous year, but the number of those admitted to the emergency room after attempting suicide actually increased in the same period, leading to suspicion that some of those attempt survivors had been unable to receive medical help. Local Korean-language daily Kukmin Ilbo on Sunday reported that 23,247 people were admitted to the hospital ER in 2024 after attempting suicide and survived, citing a Ministry of Health and Welfare data submitted to Rep. Kim Nam-hee of the Democratic Party of Korea. This marked a significant decrease from the 30,665 in 2023. But the number of suicide deaths last year is provisionally tallied at 14,588, which was up from 13,978 in 2023, according to the government-affiliated Korea Foundation for Suicide Prevention's data. As more suicide deaths is likely to indicate more suicide attempts overall, there has been speculation that people who attempted suicide may have been turned away by hospital emergency rooms, presumably due to lack of staff sparked by the recent medical strike. In protest of an increase the enrollment for medical schools by the previous administration, doctors across the country have engaged in a mass walkout that resulted in nationwide shortage of medical staff, particularly at major hospitals. This led to spike in reports about emergency patients being sent to another hospital by the staff at hospital emergency rooms, due to the ER being unable to provide necessary medical care. National Fire Agency data reported in January showed that ambulances carrying emergency patients had been turned away and sent to another hospital 5,657 times in 2024, marking a 34 percent increase from 4,227 in the previous year. * If you're thinking about self-harm or suicide, contact the Ministry of Health and Welfare's helpline at 109, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please request a translator for English-language services.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
As Cabinet picks go public, can next health minister resolve med school crisis?
For the first time, the South Korean government is allowing ministers and vice ministers to be directly nominated by the public — with the task of finding a health minister who can normalize government relations with doctors at the center of attention. High-profile names have been put forward, with last year's bruising standoff over medical school quotas and health care reform still not fully resolved. Among the leading contenders for the health minister position include trauma surgeon and director of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital Lee Guk-jong, whose name was also the first to emerge in the public recommendation process, under the official endorsement of the Busan Medical Association. Lee, who acquired the nickname of the 'hero of the Gulf of Aden' when he saved the life of Seok Hae-gyun, a Korean ship captain who was shot by Somali pirates during an anti-piracy operation in 2011. In 2017, Lee was also credited with leading the emergency treatment of a North Korean soldier who sustained multiple gunshot wounds. A vocal critic of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's medical school reforms, Lee is regarded as one of Korea's key authorities in trauma surgery, spending years on the front lines of essential health care, such as serving as head of the Southern Gyeonggi Trauma Center. Within the medical community, Lee is seen as a practitioner who understands frontline realities and could bring hands-on insight into policymaking, with his high public favorability also considered as a major asset. In a statement Friday, the Medical Professors Association of Korea said the need to appoint a qualified health minister is more important than ever at a time when "the foundations of medical education and the health care system are collapsing." "Before it is too late, we must halt the collapse of the national health care system and restore it," the statement read. "Resolving the current situation is extremely urgent and should be among the highest priorities of national policy." Others step into spotlight Former head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Jeong Eun-kyeong is also considered as a strong contender for the health minister post. Jeong, who led Korea's response during the COVID-19 pandemic as the country's disease control chief, continues to hold high public trust over her past leadership. However, whether Jeong will take the offer is unclear. According to local media reports, Jeong has expressed a desire to return to academia multiple times and has reportedly declined recent offers. In the political sphere, Jeon Hyun-hee, a senior member of the Democratic Party of Korea, has also been recently mentioned. While Lee Guk Jeong is known for his strengths in frontline medical care and Jeong Eun-kyeong is known for her leadership during the pandemic, Jeon is seen to be something like a 'hybrid' candidate, with background experience in law and political affairs. A former dentist and lawyer, Jeon previously served as the chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, demonstrating experience in public administration as well as medicine. According to Lee Jae-myung's spokesperson Kang Yu-jung on Wednesday, up to 11,324 referrals have been submitted to the presidential office by the public as of Tuesday. The ministerial post for the Ministry of Health and Welfare drew the second-highest number of nominations, while the Justice Minister position saw the largest number of nominations. Other names reportedly under consideration include Yang Sung-il, former first vice minister of health, who is viewed to hold strengths in executing welfare policies. Rep. Kang Cheong-hee, head of the Democratic Party's special health committee and professor at Yonsei University's College of Medicine, is also cited for his extensive experience with the National Health Insurance Service and the Health Ministry. The presidential office will be taking recommendations for Cabinet ministers, vice ministers and heads of state-run institutions until June 16. Recommendations filed to the National Human Resources Database will then be organized into a shortlist by the presidential office through a vetting process, in which the presidential secretary for civil service discipline will participate.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Salmonella outbreak linked to school lunches expands to Sejong, Buan
A salmonella outbreak initially reported in North Chungcheong Province has spread to Sejong and Buan, North Jeolla Province, according to health authorities on Friday. The total number of group infection cases caused by the consumption of bakery products served in school meals has risen to four, with 208 individuals exhibiting symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The outbreak was first detected after students at two group meal facilities in Cheongju and Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, reported symptoms of food poisoning following the consumption of bread products on May 15. Subsequent investigations by the KDCA revealed the presence of a genetically identical strain of salmonella in both the patients and the food samples. In response, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on June 5 issued a recall and sales suspension for two specific products: high-calcium strawberry cream roll cake and high-calcium Korean wheat choco banana bread. These items were produced by Mother Goose, a food manufacturer, and distributed by Pulmuone's subsidiary Foodmerce. The recalled products had expiration dates of Oct. 12 and Sept. 21, respectively. Since then, two additional clusters linked to the same products have been reported — one in Sejong (served on May 16) and another in Buan (served on May 15), both involving the strawberry cream roll cake. As of Friday, reported symptomatic cases include 120 from Cheongju, 35 from Jincheon, 18 from Sejong and 35 from Buan. The KDCA is currently monitoring other facilities that received the suspect products to assess any additional cases.
