South Korea is escalating a dispute with trainee doctors, threatening to suspend their licences amid conflict over medical admissions and health care reform.
On February 20, some 9,000 junior doctors went on strike, leading to the cancellation of some surgeries and procedures and hampering emergency departments at hospitals.
The strike, now in its second week, has significantly disrupted hospital operations across South Korea. Major hospitals are reporting cancellations of surgeries and treatments due to the absence of 30-40% of all medical staff, consisting mainly of striking interns and residents. The government’s stance, expressed through the threat of licence suspension, reflects the urgency of resolving the impasse to mitigate further impact on patient care and hospital operations.
The doctors taking part in the strike represent only a small fraction of South Korea’s 140,000 doctors. But they make up to 40 per cent of the total number of doctors at some major hospitals.
Thousands took to the streets of Seoul on Sunday for a mass rally organised by the Korean Medical Association (KMA), which represents private practitioners, disagreeing with the government’s deadline of February 29 for them to return to work or face legal action, including possible arrest.
The doctors said the government should first address issues of pay and working conditions before trying to increase the number of doctors.
Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said on Monday that authorities will visit hospitals to find out if doctors have returned to work and will “take action in accordance with the law and principles without exception.”
Speaking at a televised briefing, he said those who have not returned “may face serious problems in their personal careers.” Kim Taek-woo of the Korean Medical Association told the crowd of protesters, who wore black masks:
“The government is pushing the reforms unilaterally and that, the doctors cannot accept under any circumstances.”
Under South Korean law, doctors are restricted from taking strike action. Kim Taek-woo added:
“The government is very aware of the reasons why all doctors are opposing the increase in the medical school admissions but are exploiting policies to turn doctors into slaves forever.”
The government says that increasing the number of students admitted to medical schools by 2,000 from the 2025 academic year is necessary because of the rapidly aging population and low doctor-to-patient ratio. South Korea’s rate of 2.6 doctors per 1,000 people is among the lowest in the developed world.
President Yoon Suk Yeol has taken a tough stance on the strike and his approval rating is rising as the standoff drags on.
Analysts said legislative elections will be held in April and Yoon’s party will seek to win a parliamentary majority, so the government is unlikely to compromise quickly. But doctors also vowed not to back down, saying the government’s plan does not address the sector’s real problems.
