Will ousting KMA chief on eve of new talks shift medical standoff?

Hopes for a decisive breakthrough in the monthslong medical stalemate are rising as the consultation body intended to join the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, rival parties and the medical circle for talks is set to launch Monday morning, a day after a major leadership change in the Korean Medical Association.

The body's launch comes after ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon proposed in September the formation of a four-way consultative body in an attempt to resolve the ongoing medical crisis -- sparked by junior doctors' resignations in February protesting the government's drastic increase in medical school admissions places by 2,000 -- and bring striking medical students back to class.

It is anticipated that the consultative body will involve negotiations over the government's medical reform policies -- including revisiting the medical school enrollment hike for the 2026 school year and discussing ways to resolve the disruption in health care -- as the conflict has shown no signs of abating. President Yoon once again ruled out the possibility of withdrawing his quota hike plan for next year during Thursday's news conference.

However, the body lacks participation from the medical circle's main stakeholders: the KMA, the largest doctors' group here, representing some 140,000 doctors; the Medical Professors Association of Korea; the Korean Intern Resident Association; and the Korean Medical Student Association. All have demanded that the government change its quota hike plans. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea has also remained lukewarm about joining the body after the junior doctors rejected the invitation to participate.

Rep. Kim Sang-hoon, policy chief of the ruling party, said Sunday that the party would send an official letter to the Democratic Party to ask for its cooperation, noting that the body is designed to "discuss various issues without preconditions."

Despite the body lacking participation from the key parties affected, Yoon has named Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, presidential chief of staff for policy Sung Tae-yoon, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong and Education Minister Lee Ju-ho its government representatives. As the prime minister and ministers have the power to make policy decisions, they were selected to help produce tangible results.

The ruling party has also appointed doctor-turned-lawmaker Rep. Han Ji-ah, as well as Reps. Lee Man-hee and Kim Sung-won, while the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences and the Korea Association of Medical Colleges agreed to join the body last month despite fierce opposition from their colleagues who demand the scrapping of the government's quota hike plan for the 2025 academic year.

Meanwhile, the KMA voted to impeach its controversy-ridden chief, Lim Hyun-taek, Sunday afternoon amid recent discontent over his allegedly failing to "protect the interests of members" and "defaming doctors' reputation with inappropriate remarks" in his handling of the standoff since he took the post in May.

Lim became the second impeached leader in KMA's history to be unseated after former chief Roh Hwan-kyu in 2014.

The KMA head was removed from the post after 170 members voted in favor of the impeachment, surpassing the required minimum of 150 votes. The group will transition to an emergency leadership committee system for the time being and hold a bipartisan election within 60 days.

As the KMA is the largest doctors' group refusing to join the body, Lim's dismissal Sunday raised expectations that more doctors seeking to settle the issue would open the door to talks.

Medical students -- who are not members of the KMA -- and junior doctors have reportedly requested senior doctors to vote in favor of Lim's impeachment, according to reports citing sources familiar with the matter. Park Dan, who heads the KIRA, along with some 90 other junior doctors, issued a statement on Thursday demanding that Lim step down.

After Lim's impeachment, medical students and junior doctors may engage in discussions, according to observers, as Lim's executive team had failed to communicate well with the two groups and reflect their opinions amid the continued deadlock.