Health minister Cho Kyoo-hong has vowed to steadfastly accomplish medical reform, which he stressed as being an imperative task.

Cho made the pledge on Thursday when chairing a government response meeting on the collective action taken by trainee doctors in protest of the government's planned medical school admissions quota hike.

The minister stressed that medical reform is a task that is imperative to protect the people’s lives and health, saying such reform would entail boosting regional and essential medical care while making preparations for future demand for medical service. 

Cho then again called on the medical community to enter into dialogue to jointly discuss substantial ways to execute such reform, which the minister said is no different from proposals made by doctors’ associations.  

With Cho’s remarks, the government has demonstrated its intent to push forward medical reform in the most definite manner since the general elections.