The South Korean government publicly ordered 13 doctors to return to work or face fines late last night.
The South Korean government late yesterday publicly ordered 13 doctors who have been actively opposing a strike by some 9,000 doctors over a health care reform plan to return to work or face fines.
Yesterday, on a public holiday in South Korea, local police raided representatives of the doctors’ association, showing the South Korean government’s intolerance of trainee doctors who participate in the strike or criticise the reform plan.
The Ministry of Health published the licence and hospital numbers of 13 doctors on its website, ordering them to return to work, otherwise their licence could be suspended or they could face criminal charges.
Some turned out to be trainee doctors who criticised the government, including Park Dan, head of the Korean Interns and Residents Association.
Thursday is the deadline for doctors to return or face punishment, the government said. Over two-thirds of trainee doctors (nearly 9,000) have ignored the call to return to work, according to the health ministry.
Despite calls from the government, doctors are planning a mass demonstration against the government’s plan to increase medical school admissions by 2,000 from 2025 to address the shortage of doctors.
