Figure: The Korean doctors’ strike has continued for several months, and hospitals across the country are facing greater pressure. \Reuters

Reasons for the strike

•In early February this year, the Yoon Seok-yeol government of South Korea announced a plan to expand the enrollment of medical students, intending to increase the annual enrollment of medical students by 2,000 from 3,058 to 5,058 starting in 2025. The Korean medical community strongly opposed the expansion plan and launched a strike in protest.

Strike schedule

•Since February 20, tens of thousands of interns and residents in hospitals across South Korea have resigned and left their jobs, and tens of thousands of medical students have applied for leave of absence. Patients have difficulty seeking medical treatment, and many surgeries have been forced to be postponed. The South Korean government has issued a return-to-work order to doctors who have left their jobs.

•On March 18, South Korean media revealed that the authorities had issued a final notice to revoke the medical licenses of two officials of the Korean Medical Association who organized the strike.

•On April 4, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol met with medical representatives for the first time, but no consensus was reached.

•On May 16, the Seoul High Court rejected the medical community’s request to halt the expansion plan.

•On May 24, the Korea University Education Council approved a plan to expand medical school enrollment by 1,509 people by 2025.

•On June 17, about 55% of professors at Seoul National University Hospital suspended their medical services indefinitely.

•On June 18, the Korean Medical Association plans to begin a collective suspension of medical services.

Provoking controversy

•The South Korean government pointed out that there is a shortage of doctors in South Korea, especially in internal medicine and pediatrics. However, the Korean medical community claimed that improving the treatment of doctors is the priority, and blindly expanding the number of doctors will lead to vicious competition and strain the medical insurance system’s funds.

•South Korean people are increasingly dissatisfied with the difficulties in seeking medical treatment caused by the strike, and accuse doctors of ignoring the lives and health of patients.

Compiled by Ta Kung Pao