[News Today] HEALTH MINISTER ISSUES APOLOGY

[LEAD]
Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong has issued a public apology amid calls for accountability from the medical community. He stated that resigning now would be inappropriate. Cho noted that while he's open to revising the 2026 medical school admissions quota if presented with a reasonable proposal, changes to next year's quota are not possible.

[REPORT]
In his latest appearance on KBS TV's "Sunday Diagnosis Live," health minister Cho Kyoo-hong expressed his stance on the medical community's demand that those responsible for the medical crisis apologize and be punished.
The demand was made as a precondition for the doctors' participation in the joint consultative body involving the ruling and opposition parties, the medical sector and the government.

When asked if he's willing to apologize on behalf of the president to solve the crisis, the health minister said he apologizes to the public for inconveniences caused by the medical void.

However, he declined to comment on the medical community's demand for apology and punishment.

Cho said it would be inappropriate for a policy chief to announce his stance in public when the situation is so urgent.

Regarding doctors' demand that the quota increase for 2025 be re-discussed, the health minister said changing things at this point when applications for early admissions have already been submitted is difficult.

He once again urged doctors to come up with a more rational solution.

Regarding the remark that demanding a single, unified solution would be ambiguous, because different medical organizations have different interests, Cho said he does not mean it should be one solution.

He added if the medical community presents a rough plan, the medical school admissions quota for 2026 can be re-discussed from scratch.

The health minister made it clear that the difference in opinions on the quota hike between PPP leader Han Dong-hoon and the presidential office does not imply a conflict.

Cho Kyoo-hong / Minister of Health and Welfare
There is no conflict. There may be slight differences in how they want to carry it out, but there is enough room for discussion.

He said the government agrees on the necessity of the consultative body and will hold a dialogue proactively without any formalities if doctors' agree to participate in it.

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