Ruling party, govt. decide to ask Yoon to veto nursing act

The ruling People Power Party and the government decided Sunday to ask President Yoon Suk Yeol to veto the opposition-led nursing act amid strong protests from doctors and assistant nurses against it.

The two sides made the decision after a high-level policy consultation meeting attended by People Power Party leader Kim Gi-hyeon, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong and presidential chief of staff Kim Dae-ki.

The nursing act was one of the top agenda items for the meeting because Yoon has to either approve or reject the legislation during a Cabinet meeting set for Tuesday. The official deadline for Yoon's decision is Friday.

"The party and the government shared a consensus on the point that the nursing act is ... takes people's lives hostage and that damage from it will be borne solely by the people," Rep. Kang Min-kuk, a senior People Power Party spokesperson said.

"We decided to recommend the president make a request for reconsideration of the nursing act, which was unilaterally approved by the opposition party last month," he said.

The act, which passed through the opposition-controlled National Assembly in a vote boycotted by the ruling party last month, is aimed at stipulating the roles and responsibilities of nurses and improving their working conditions.

Doctors and assistant nurses have opposed the bill, arguing that the legislation would cause confusion in the medical sector because it could lead to nurses opening their own clinics without doctors' supervision and that assistant nurses could be discriminated against.

Nurses tout the bill as essential in redefining their role as more independent and professional services amid growing medical needs. They also argue that the act was one of Yoon's campaign promises ahead of last year's presidential election. (Yonhap)