Kim Taek-woo, chairman of the National Council of Medical Associations, has been elected as the 43rd president of the Korean Medical Association (KMA). Kim noted, "Now that the runaway train threatening public health has stopped, I will gather all wisdom to halt the train."
On the 8th, the KMA Central Election Management Committee reported that candidate Kim Taek-woo secured 17,007 votes (60.38%) in the second round of voting for the KMA presidential election held over two days on the 7th and 8th. The second-place candidate, Joo Soo-ho, received 11,160 votes (39.62%). The two candidates ranked first and second in the first-round voting, but since no candidate garnered a majority of the votes by a slight margin (437 votes, 1.4 percentage points), a runoff was held.
Among the 140,000 members, a total of 28,167 members voted from the 51,895 members confirmed last month, resulting in a turnout of 54.28%. This election was held following the impeachment of former KMA president Lim Hyun-taek last November. Subsequently, the KMA transitioned to an emergency response committee system, with Park Hyung-wook serving as the interim head of the medical community for about two months. Kim will lead the KMA for the remainder of former President Lim's term until April 30, 2027.
In a situation where conflicts between the government and medical associations have continued for nearly a year due to an expansion in medical school admissions, Kim faces significant challenges from the outset of his term, including negotiations with the government regarding the increase in medical school admissions and addressing healthcare gaps and normalizing medical education.
Right after receiving the certificate of election, Kim remarked, "My selection at this serious time reflects the earnestness of the members asking to resolve the current situation and my own urgency" and added, "Not just in the medical crisis, but also in a politically, economically, and socially critical period, I will stop the runaway train threatening public health."
As the new KMA president, Kim emphasized that he urges the government to present a master plan regarding whether medical school education will be feasible for the 2025 academic year, stating, "Only then can discussions on what to do in 2026 begin."
He also expressed regret over the Ministry of Health and Welfare's push for healthcare reform. He said, "Currently, the ministry is unilaterally discussing the management of non-reimbursed medical services and health insurance through a presidentially appointed medical reform committee in the absence of a president" and stated, "Discussions by the medical reform committee should be halted immediately." He continued, "The government must first present a master plan for medical school education, and only when there are agendas to discuss with the medical association can negotiations commence."
However, Kim showed a cautious stance regarding the KMA's struggle against the government. He stated, "I am considering discussions with the government first" and noted, "A struggle against the government will be the final step if discussions do not take place."
Kim has been viewed as a strong candidate since the early stages of the election, having received support from residents of the Korean Association of Resident Physicians, including Park Dan, the chair of the emergency response committee. Previously, Park Hyung-wook also won election backed by strong support from Chair Park.
Kim is a surgeon who graduated from Gyeongsang National University Medical School. After the executive team led by former KMA president Lee Pil-soo resigned in February last year, he took on the role of chair of the committee against increasing medical school admissions and was later subjected to a three-month suspension for allegedly encouraging collective action among residents. In 2021, he was also active as the chair of the KMA committee formed to prevent the nursing law. He currently serves as the president of the Gangwon Medical Association and the chair of the council of presidents of 16 metropolitan medical associations across the country.