Recently, the president vetoed the nursing law passed by the National Assembly. President Yoon Suk Yeol's use of the veto is the second time. This can be seen as the most frequent case of veto power at a time when veto power has been gradually decreasing since the 6th Republic. 

Meanwhile, what is the nursing law that President Yoon Suk Yeol rejected? Currently, the work of nurses is stipulated in accordance with the Medical Service Act enacted in 1951. However, about 70 years have passed, and due to changes in the demographic structure caused by the aging and low birth rates in Korean society, voices have been growing that the nursing law needs to be enacted due to increased medical expenses and social care. In particular, with the recent rapid increase in the burden on nurses due to COVID-19, support for the nursing law, which specifies the treatment and working conditions of nurses, has increased.

As a result, the debate over the nursing law heated up, and the National Assembly proceeded with the drafting process in earnest in line with these public opinions. The nursing law was supported by many people, with President Yoon Suk Yeol also making a pledge to enact the nursing law when he was a candidate. However, doctors' organizations put strong opposition pressure on the government and the ruling party, calling the nursing law a nurse preferential law and a medical license extortion law, and the ruling party eventually took a stance against the nursing law.

However, as the drafting process began in earnest in the National Assembly, medical groups such as the Korean Medical Association put strong opposition pressure on the government and the ruling party, calling the nursing law a "nurse preferential law" and a "medical license removal law." They oppose the nursing law because they think that nursing law will make nurses replace doctors.

Only two people voted in favor of the people power party who took a pessimistic stance on the nursing law: Choi Yeon-sook, a former nurse, and Kim Ye-ji, a blind lawmaker. Also, as the nursing law was vetoed, many nurses are protesting and taking part in demonstrations right now. As such, most nurses are strongly in favor of the nursing law.

The current low birth rate and aging society are expected to lead to a shortage of nursing staff a few years later. Many other countries are already experiencing a shortage of nurses, and they are coming up with many policies to encourage foreign nurses to immigrate. Korea should also prepare for a medical vacuum by improving the treatment of nurses before facing a worse medical vacuum like foreign countries.

Resource:
https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/politics/assembly/1089699.html
https://www.bbc.com/korean/features-65606416
https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/003/0011861846?sid=102&

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