President Yoon Suk Yeol has reiterated calls for medical reform as he expressed the government’s intent to proceed with an overhaul despite some resistance and opposition.

In a public forum on medical reforms on Thursday at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital in Seongnam, the president said that most of the people want medical reforms and now is what he called the “golden time” to push for them.

Yoon said that it is very unfortunate that the county must worry about the collapse of the medical system despite possessing the world’s best medical professionals and health insurance system.

The president underscored the need to secure a sufficient number of medical workers to stabilize provincial and essential medical services, noting the surge in elderly workers and demand in the healthcare industry.

To that end, the president pledged to enhance compensation for victims of medical accidents while also reducing the burden of medical malpractice complaints against personnel.

Yoon said that the government will utilize a reserve fund of the National Health Insurance to pour more than ten trillion won, or some seven-point-five billion U.S. dollars, into essential services to ensure high-risk staff and service providers receive compensation commensurate with their efforts.