Lim Hyun-taek, second from left in second row, president of the Korean Medical Association, speaks during a hearing held by the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee in Seoul, Wednesday. Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong, left in front row, and Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo, right in front row, also attended the hearing. Yonhap

The government and doctors' groups clashed again Wednesday over whether the country needs more physicians and who should be responsible for the protracted health care standoff.

During a hearing held by the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, Lim Hyun-taek, the hawkish head of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), the country's largest coalition of doctors, said the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's policy to increase the annual medical school admissions quota should be blamed for the monthslong standoff. Lim is one of the strongest opponents of the policy.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare, for its part, said such a policy was necessary to address chronic shortages of doctors in essential medical treatment fields, such as pediatrics and obstetrics, as well as in underserved areas.

The government and doctors have been in a confrontation since late February when more than 90 percent of the country's trainee doctors walked off the job in protest against the policy, resulting in significant medical services disruptions.

When Rep. Nam In-soon of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea asked whether Lim is willing to apologize to the public about the health care system disruptions as the head of the doctors' group, he said, "The current standoff was caused by the vice health minister and other officials who attempted to change the system that has previously been operated without problems."

Medical professionals are seen at Severance Hospital in Seoul, Wednesday. Medical professors there said they will begin an indefinite walkout Thursday in protest against the government's increase of the medical school admission quota. Yonhap

In response, Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo noted shortages of doctors have been more serious in areas outside Seoul, promoting the government to announce its medical sector reform initiatives including the medical school quota hike plan.

"The initiatives include a variety of countermeasures, including an increase in the number of medical students, to improve the working environment to encourage more doctors to work in essential medical treatment fields and underserved areas," Park said.

"The government's measures are also aimed at improving the compensation system for physicians and better protecting them from the legal challenges resulting from medical accidents."

The vice health minister once again stressed that the doctors' walkout is illegal as it amounts to refusal to treat patients. This comment came as the KMA led a one-day walkout by some doctors operating private clinics across the country on June 18 to protest the government's medical reform.

"We have investigated some cases and filed complaints with law enforcement agencies," Park said. "We will continue to do our best to promote dialogue with doctors and resolve the standoff to minimize disruptions to medical services and damage to patients."

On the same day, an association of civic and patients' groups held a press conference in front of the Assembly, calling for bringing the prolonged standoff to an end at the earliest possible date.

"The government should put its priority on protecting the people's safety and focus its efforts on drawing up solutions," the association said in a statement.

As part of its medical sector reform initiatives, the government is seeking to increase medical school admissions by about 2,000 places annually for five years starting in 2025.

Despite doctors' protests, all administrative procedures for adding approximately 1,500 new medical students for the 2025 academic year were finalized back in May. This marks the first such increase in 27 years.