Acting President Choi Sang-mok said Wednesday that delaying discussions about medical reform would be a “dereliction of duty” by the government, stressing that the current administration will continue to advance policies to expand essential and regional health care.

Choi made the remarks after a luncheon with the presidential committee for medical reform, where he stressed that despite the collective actions by doctors and medical students opposing the increase in the medical school admissions quota, structural reforms for the normalization of health care are “an unavoidable task.”

He also highlighted four key issues that need to be addressed: a lack of policy support for medical school education and residency training, inefficient health care delivery systems, issues with insurance payments, and how to resolve medical malpractice disputes.

Choi stressed that without resolving these issues, the country’s health care system cannot advance.

The acting president also called on the medical community to participate in medical reform discussions, saying the government’s efforts alone are not enough to normalize health care.