Tearing Medical Field... Residents and Faculty vs. Regional Hospitals and Nurses

Temperature Differences Over Doctors' General Strike

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, Catholic Central Medical Center in Seoul. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Although the second nationwide doctors' general strike ended on the 28th, the medical crisis continues as residents have decided to strike indefinitely. On the same day, the government filed criminal charges against 10 individuals who did not comply with the work commencement order, and the residents' response is expected to intensify. As the medical crisis persists, the medical community is divided between support and opposition to the strike. Residents, who are mainly young doctors such as medical students, interns, and residents, strongly oppose the government's policy, while local clinics, regional medical communities, and nurses express lukewarm or negative attitudes toward the collective work stoppage.

Residents Decide on Indefinite Strike
Medical Students and Faculty Also Call for "Policy Reconsideration"

The group most sensitive to the government's plan to increase medical school admissions by 4,000 over the next 10 years is the future of the medical community: medical students and residents. According to the Korean Association of Medical Colleges (KAMC) Student Association, among the 3,172 applicants for the 2021 85th National Medical Licensing Examination (clinical skills test) held from September 1 to October 27, 93% decided to cancel their registration. Additionally, 87% of medical students have resolved to participate in a solidarity leave of absence.

The Korean Intern and Resident Association stated, "We will not return to work unless the government withdraws the policy or re-discusses it from the beginning," and they are refusing to comply with the work commencement order. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as of the previous day, among 8,825 residents in 165 training institutions that responded to the survey out of 200 nationwide, 6,070 had stopped working. The work stoppage rate is 68.8%. Although lower than residents, 549 out of 1,954 fellows (work stoppage rate 28.1%) also chose not to work.

Medical school deans and faculty generally support collective action. Forty deans and directors of medical schools affiliated with KAMC issued a statement the day before, urging, "The government should reconsider health and medical policies from scratch so that medical students can return to the educational field." Considering the resurgence of COVID-19, they also requested postponing the medical licensing exam by at least two weeks. Professors at Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine also stated, "The voices from the field must be reflected in policies for the development of public healthcare," and urged, "The government and the Medical Association should gather and restart discussions from the beginning." In response, Kim Heon-ju, Director of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, drew a line, saying, "There is currently no change to the exam schedule."

On the 26th, when the second general strike led by the Korea Medical Association (KMA) was enforced, a notice about delayed medical services was posted at the entrance of the emergency room at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The KMA opposed government policies such as the expansion of medical school quotas and began a three-day collective strike until the 28th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Local Clinics' Work Stoppage Rate at 8.9%... Private Practitioners Lukewarm
Regional Hospitals and Nurses' Association Criticize, "Abandoning Patients"

Local clinics, which are primary medical institutions, are also participating in the strike, but the work stoppage rate is not high. As of 12 PM on the 27th, out of 32,787 clinics, 2,926 were closed, resulting in a work stoppage rate of 8.9%. This is slightly lower than the 10.8% recorded at 12 PM on the first day of the strike, the 26th. One private practitioner said, "Regardless of whether one supports the strike, stopping hospital operations for a day or two results in significant losses," adding, "Due to the possibility of hospital shutdowns caused by the spread of COVID-19, there is a burden regarding work stoppage." In some regions, information about local clinics posting strike notices was shared in online cafes, creating negative public opinion.

Park Hyun-seo, Director of Asan Hyundai Hospital, posted on his social network service (SNS) the day before, "Most medical students and young residents are from Seoul," and criticized, "The government plans to recruit only about 10% more regional doctors annually who will be required to work in small provincial cities for 10 years, but they have no intention of going to rural areas. So why abandon patients and go on strike?" The Korean Nurses Association also criticized doctors, saying, "What remains in the clinical sites after residents leave is the worsening working conditions and increased workload for nurses," and added, "Leaving the medical field during the crisis of COVID-19 resurgence is an act that betrays ethical duties."

On the 21st, a resident undergoing training at a general hospital, such as an intern or resident, is holding a solo protest in front of the main building of Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul, opposing the government's policy to expand the quota of medical school students. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

"Medical-Government 'Chicken Game' Must Stop"

Experts have voiced that the government and the medical community must stop the chicken game and quickly find a compromise during the COVID-19 emergency. Shin Hyun-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea and a former doctor, said, "With the nationwide spread of COVID-19, hospital beds are saturated, but due to doctors' strikes, hospitals cannot actively respond to infectious diseases," adding, "The medical community must consider whether the strike is justified when patients' lives are threatened due to limited medical resources, and the government must communicate to prevent harm to the public."

Jung Sung-pil, Professor of Emergency Medicine at Gangnam Severance Hospital, also emphasized, "The medical community and government should return to the starting point and resolve the strike through dialogue," and said, "Causing a medical vacuum during the COVID-19 resurgence is a burden for both the medical organizations and the government."

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