Nationwide Residents Begin 24-Hour Strike

Collective Action Against Medical School Quota Expansion
Minimizing Gaps by Deploying Replacement Personnel

On the 7th, medical staff were busy moving around at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul, as residents began a 24-hour collective strike. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Residents working at over 200 hospitals nationwide went on strike for one day on the 7th in protest against the government's plan to increase medical school quotas. This is the first strike in six years since the 2014 strike opposing telemedicine and for-profit hospitals. However, hospitals are expected to experience little disruption in medical services as substitute personnel have been deployed.

The Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA) decided to suspend all resident duties, including essential services such as emergency rooms, delivery rooms, and dialysis rooms, from 7 a.m. on the 7th to 7 a.m. on the 8th. Approximately 11,200 residents, about 70% of the 16,000 KIRA members, participated in the strike.

Concerns about medical service disruptions and healthcare gaps are growing as the resident strike begins amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residents are doctors 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 care and check the condition of hospitalized patients, among various other duties.

Major university hospitals in Seoul have assigned substitute personnel such as clinical instructors and professors to cover the duties previously handled by residents and have adjusted on-call duties to prepare for any medical confusion. Although some emergency rooms experienced brief delays due to an influx of patients on the morning of the strike, no issues at the level of a 'medical crisis' occurred.

Residents oppose the government's plan to increase medical school quotas and establish public medical schools. If differences in positions are not resolved, they have announced their intention to participate in the Korean Medical Association's general strike scheduled for the 14th.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun held a meeting with related ministers on the day to discuss emergency medical measures in preparation for the medical community's collective strike, stating, "Considering the patients' position, I earnestly request restraint from collective action and urge resolving the issue through dialogue and communication." He added, "There is great concern about potential medical gaps in emergency rooms and intensive care units, which are directly linked to the lives of the people," and "The government will also communicate with the medical community with an open attitude."

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