President Yoon Suk Yeol made a late-night visit to an emergency medical center on Wednesday and pledged to enhance support for essential medical services. 

Presidential spokesperson Jeong Hye-jeon said in a statement Wednesday that Yoon visited the Catholic University of Korea Uijeongbu St. Mary’s Hospital, the emergency medical center for northern Gyeonggi Province, around 8:50 p.m. Wednesday. 

During his 80-minute visit to the hospital, Yoon pledged to drastically increase government support for essential medical services and to reduce legal risks for medical workers, saying health care workers who deliver essential services have not been compensated fairly.

The president also said the government will do its best to ensure doctors do not burn out over the Chuseok holiday, when demand for emergency room services increases, by making more resources available. 

It was Yoon’s ninth visit to a medical institution since the government announced its health care reform plans in February.