Last Day of Doctors' Strike... Strong Hardline Stance by Residents, Possibility of Prolonged Dispute

Residents opposing the government's expansion of medical school quotas are holding a 24-hour silent picket protest on the 23rd at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Seoul Catholic Central Medical Center. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The medical community's collective strike opposing the government's healthcare policies, including the expansion of medical school quotas and the establishment of public medical schools, entered its third day on the 28th. This marks the final day of the second nationwide doctors' strike, which the Korean Medical Association announced would last three days starting from the 26th. While the government issued orders to resume work to medical staff participating in the strike, the medical community is strongly resisting by refusing to comply with the return orders and submitting resignations, demanding a complete reconsideration of the policies from the ground up. In particular, opposition is intensifying among residents and interns, who form the core of young doctors, leaving the possibility of a prolonged standoff.

69% of Residents Join Strike, Only 9% of Local Clinics Participate

The second nationwide doctors' strike saw participation from residents, fellows, and private practitioners at local clinics. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as of the previous day, among 8,825 residents at 165 training institutions that responded out of 200 nationwide, 6,070 stopped working, resulting in a strike rate of 68.8%. Among 1,954 fellows, 549 were absent from work, marking a strike rate of 28.1%.

The participation rate among local clinics was even lower. As of noon on the 27th, out of 32,787 clinic-level medical institutions, 2,926 were closed, resulting in a strike rate of 8.9%. This is a slight decrease compared to the 10.8% strike rate recorded at noon on the first day of the strike, the 26th. During the first collective strike on the 14th, the strike rate among local clinics was 32.6%.

The Korean Intern and Resident Association (KIRA), representing about 16,000 residents, appealed to senior doctors to join the collective action, citing the low participation rate among private practitioners. KIRA stated, "Upon hearing the attendance and strike rates from the rally on the 14th, we felt deeply miserable and devastated," adding, "If our seniors do not join us, we will remain trapped in darkness forever. We do not want to live in a world where doctors are treated like slaves, losing both self-esteem and a sense of mission."

"Policy Nullification vs. Unacceptable" ... Sparks for Prolonged Conflict

Residents and fellows have declared that they will not return to work unless the government withdraws or reconsiders from scratch the policies on expanding medical school quotas and establishing public medical schools. Deans of 40 medical schools, heads of medical graduate schools, and medical faculty members are also demanding a fundamental review.

However, the government maintains that it cannot accept the nullification of policies that have undergone social discussion. It initially threatened strong measures, including filing complaints against residents who disobeyed the work resumption orders, but later postponed these actions.

The possibility of proceeding with complaints remains. The Ministry of Health and Welfare explained, "We are currently gathering opinions from senior medical professionals through various channels such as meetings between the minister and hospital directors," adding, "The schedule for filing complaints against residents who violate the work resumption orders will be announced later."

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