"Opposition to Medical School Quota Expansion"... Residents Begin Collective Strike Today

Major University Hospitals "Fully Prepared to Keep Medical Services Running"

Outpatients are waiting for medical treatment at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Resident doctors nationwide opposing the expansion of medical school quotas will go on strike starting the 7th.

The Korean Intern Resident Association has decided to suspend all resident doctors' duties, including essential services such as emergency rooms, delivery rooms, and dialysis rooms, for 24 hours from 7 a.m. on the 7th to 7 a.m. on the 8th. It is expected that 70-80% of the total 16,000 resident doctors will participate in the strike.

Resident doctors are physicians undergoing training to obtain specialist qualifications at university hospitals and other institutions, commonly referred to as interns or residents. They assist professors in surgeries and medical treatments and are responsible for checking the condition of hospitalized patients, among various other duties.

Major university hospitals in Seoul plan to assign substitute personnel such as clinical instructors or professors to cover the duties previously handled by resident doctors and prepare for any disruptions in medical services. At Samsung Seoul Hospital, about 18 surgery schedules were changed due to the resident doctors' strike. Seoul St. Mary's Hospital will designate professors for each ward to manage hospitalized patients. Resident doctors participating in the strike will have their leave recorded as annual leave.

Severance Hospital and Asan Medical Center in Seoul also plan to reorganize duties such as inpatient management and on-call work, previously handled by resident doctors, to ensure no inconvenience to patients.

Along with the strike on this day, resident doctors plan to hold outdoor rallies in various locations nationwide, including Yeouido in Seoul.

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