Government Warns of Strict Measures if Public Harm Occurs Amid Medical Sector Strike Threat

The Medical Reform Achievement Struggle Committee of the Korean Medical Association held a press conference on the 2nd at the fountain square near the Blue House to announce the launch of their struggle against the government and to present their action plan. Chairman Choi Dae-jip of the Korean Medical Association is speaking. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] As the medical community has repeatedly announced strikes in opposition to the plan to increase medical school quotas, the government has warned that it will take strict measures if harm occurs to the public.

Kim Kang-rip, the 1st Chief Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at a briefing held at the Government Sejong Complex on the same day, "If any illegal elements arise during the collective actions of the medical community, we will respond in principle according to laws and regulations."

The government is preparing various countermeasures in anticipation of medical community strikes. First, hospitals have been requested to designate substitute shifts or secure replacement personnel to maintain essential medical services such as emergency rooms and intensive care units, ensuring no gaps in medical care occur.

Chief Coordinator Kim stated, "Hospitals are preparing to deploy doctors as much as possible through various measures such as adjusting on-call duties, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare along with local governments will operate 24-hour emergency medical situation rooms to manage and ensure that emergency medical measures are implemented without disruption."

The government especially expressed concern over medical organizations announcing collective sickouts amid the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis. Chief Coordinator Kim requested, "Please refrain from collective actions that could cause harm to the public and resolve issues through dialogue and consultation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.