From the right to veto to the truth of the pledge… What is the fate of the chaotic ‘nursing law’?
The domestic medical law conforms to the framework of the National Medical Law enacted in 1951. Afterwards, the name was changed to the Medical Act in 1962, but the need for institutional supplementary measures in accordance with the changing times was constantly raised. Then, in 1970, a woman named Kim died of shock after receiving an injection from a nurse named Kim, who had been prescribed by a doctor. At the time, when Mr. Kim stood in court on charges of ‘violation of the medical law and negligence on the job’ for giving an injection without the presence of a doctor, nurses across the country protested at once. Since then, controversy has heated up over ambiguous legal provisions such as ‘medical assistance’ and ‘medical practices cannot be performed unless you are a doctor’. Captured by Naver News Library and
Kyunghyang
Shinmun
The enactment of the Nursing Act was proposed and discussed several times in the National Assembly, but each time it was canceled due to opposition from the medical community. Among them, candidate Seok-Yeol Yoon of the People’s Power in the 20th Presidential Election and Jae-Myeong Lee of the Democratic Party announced that they would promote the enactment of the ‘Nursing Act’, and the bill rose to the surface again. Candidate Yoon said at a meeting with the Korean Nursing Association that day, “I know that the government is preparing an alternative by making various adjustments because the three parties proposed a bill.” At the meeting, he emphasized that “the power of the people will do our best to become a legislative as soon as possible by taking the lead as much as anyone else” and “the candidate himself promised this.” Candidate Lee also said, “The nurses who always stand by the people, Now, Lee Jae-myeong opened the door to the enactment of the ‘Nursing Act’ with the words, “I will protect it.” Yonhap News
2022-05-09
At the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee 1st Legislative Review Subcommittee convened by the Democratic Party alone, a total of 3 cases were proposed, including two nursing laws proposed by Democratic Party member Kim Min-seok and People Power Rep. Seo Jung-sook, and one nursing and midwifery law proposed by People Power Rep. bill was passed. In response, doctors’ organizations protested that it was an ‘evil law representing only the interests of nurses’, and nurses organizations opposed it as ‘an essential bill to respond to public health crises such as the Corona 19 pandemic’. National Assembly Photo Reporters
2023-02-09
‘Nursing Act’ goes directly to the plenary session… Nurses ‘Welcome’ ‧ Doctors ‘Rejection’
The Health and Welfare Committee of the National Assembly passed an agenda to directly refer 7 bills to the plenary session, including the enactment of the Nursing Act, which includes the improvement of treatment of nurses and the scope of work. While the nurses’ group welcomed it as “a public welfare bill that should have been dealt with,” the doctors’ group protested, saying, “The opposition party is trying to pass it by force using the power of the majority party.” Yonhap News
2023-02-26
Doctors group “Nursing law only for nurses”
The Health, Welfare and Medical Coalition, which is composed of 13 professional health and medical organizations, including the Medical Association, started a struggle to block the passage of the Nursing Act and the Medical License Act in the plenary session of the National Assembly. These groups are concerned that if the Nursing Act is enacted, it will become the basis for nurses to open medical institutions alone. Reporter Huh Ji-won
2023-03-23
Nursing Act, after controversy, was rejected by the plenary session
Six bills, including the enactment of the Nursing Act, which contains content to improve the treatment of nurses, were submitted to the plenary session of the National Assembly. Sub-vote means that the agenda has become available for deliberation at the plenary session. In order for a proposed bill to be submitted to the plenary session, the Speaker of the National Assembly must reach an agreement with the representative of the negotiating party. Yonhap News
2023-04-11
The government and the ruling party propose an arbitration plan… Nurse group exit
On this day, the power of the people presented an arbitration plan in the presence of the government and health and medical organizations at the National Assembly. The party-government arbitration bill changed the name of the enactment bill of the Nursing Act to the ‘Act on the Treatment of Nurses, etc.’ In response, the doctors’ group said, “We will review it positively,” and the Association of Nursing Assistants also expressed their intention to “accept the arbitration proposal.” However, the nurses’ group stood up during the meeting, expressing their unacceptable position. Reporter Yoon Chang- won
2023-04-25
Ahead of the Nursing Act vote… The government that introduced manpower measures
With the introduction of the Nursing Act enactment bill to the plenary session of the National Assembly approaching in two days, the government presented the ‘Second Comprehensive Plan for Supporting Nursing Workforce (draft)’ containing directions for improving the working environment for nurses. The plan is to increase manpower and expand the admission quota for nursing schools through the ‘Nursing Manpower Supply and Demand Committee’ in which the government and the nursing community participate. In response, the nurses’ organization revealed a welcome stance, but drew a line that there would be no compromise on the government’s mediation. Previously, Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Gyu-hong said at the plenary meeting of the Health and Welfare Committee of the National Assembly the day before, “In the medical field, organic cooperation between occupational fields is important, and 13 health and medical organizations are strongly opposed to the enactment of the Nursing Act.” expressed an opinion. Reporter Park Jong-min
2023-04-27
After 46 years… Nursing Act passed
The Nursing Act was passed by the National Assembly after 46 years. The bill, led by the Democratic Party of Korea, received overwhelming support with 179 votes out of 181 lawmakers present. While members of the People’s Power were absent on this day as they could not narrow the difference of opinion until the end, Rep. Choi Yeon-sook of the same party cried alone and participated in the discussion in favor of the vote, drawing attention. The nurses’ group cheered, saying it was a historic event, but the doctors’ group protested, foretelling an indefinite hunger strike. Reporter Lee Choong-hyun
2023-05-03
1st strike against ‘Nursing Act’… Controversy over “I didn’t promise”
Doctors and nursing assistants, who protested against the Nursing Act passed by the National Assembly, went on a partial strike that day. Those who went on a hunger strike foretold the second annual leave struggle on the 11th, starting with the annual leave struggle. In addition, if President Yoon Seok-yeol’s veto was not exercised by the cabinet meeting on the 16th, the position was announced that a solidarity general strike would be promoted the next day, the 17th. In response, the nurses’ organization criticized that the medical solidarity strike should be stopped, saying, “Groups opposed to the Nursing Act, including the Medical Association, are spreading false information about the law.” On this day, People’s Power Jeon Joo-hye, a spokesperson for the hospital, argued in a commentary that “President Seok-yeol Yoon declared the principle of improving the treatment of nurses,” and “during the last presidential election, he never pledged to enact the Nursing Act.” Previously, the Ministry of Health and Welfare also posted a post on its SNS account expressing concern over the passing of the Nursing Act, causing noise. Yonhap News
2023-05-09
The nurse group also fasted… Fight back with the doctors’ association
A group of nurses announced on the same day that they would go on an indefinite hunger strike to enact the Nursing Act. On the 11th, a group of doctors, including dentists, started a second annual leave struggle to block the enactment of the Nursing Act. On the 12th, International Nurses Day, incumbent nurses and nursing students took to the streets to urge the enactment of the Nursing Law. Correspondent Ryu Young-ju
2023-05-14
Party and government “propose veto right to president over Nursing Act issue”
Regarding the Nursing Act enactment bill that passed the plenary session of the National Assembly, the party and the government decided to officially propose to President Yoon Seok-yeol to exercise his veto power. At the Prime Minister’s official residence in Jongno-gu that day, President Kim Dae-ki, chief of staff, argued, “It is not desirable that the interests of one side are reflected only by force, in which the positions of stakeholders are not fully converged in the process, apart from the content of the bill.” People’s Power Kang Min-guk, chief spokesman, also said안전놀이터, “The Nursing Act undermines trust and collaboration between health care workers and has a high risk of negatively affecting public health.” Reporter Jinhwan Hwang
2023-05-16President
exercised veto power of enactment of Nursing Act
President Yoon Seok-yeol exercised his right to veto the bill for the second time after taking office that day. President Yoon said, “The Nursing Act is causing excessive conflict between related positions,” and “The de-medical institutionalization of nursing work is also causing public anxiety about health.” In response, nursing groups protested, saying, “Even though there is a lot of evidence and records that the president said he would enact the nursing law, he broke his promise to enact the nursing law.” In the National Assembly, the ruling party supported it as “a measure to prevent confusion
, ” while the opposition party criticized it for “choosing to divide the people,” resulting in mixed reactions.
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A group of nurses held a ‘national condemnation rally to denounce the right to veto the Nursing Act and eradicate corrupt politics’ in the Gwanghwamun area on the same day, and announced that “the truth of the Nursing Act was hidden and major national issues were decided based on lies.” They emphasized, “We will surely judge the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats who condemned the Nursing Act as a bad law and led to the presidential veto.” These groups estimated that about 100,000 people gathered that day. Reporter Ryu Young-joo