Resident Doctors Return to Work on the 8th... Indefinite Strike Lasts 18 Days (Comprehensive)

"Will escalate protest if no relief plan for medical students within 2 weeks"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] The resident doctors who had been on a collective strike decided to return to work on the 8th. It has been 18 days since they began an indefinite strike on the 21st of last month.

Park Ji-hyun, Chairperson of the Emergency Response Committee of the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA), stated at a meeting held on the afternoon of the 7th with all resident doctors, "Considering various circumstances, we will lower the collective action to Stage 1 starting from 7 a.m. on the 8th," adding, "This is the official position of the Emergency Response Committee." Stage 1 collective action means all resident doctors return to work while each hospital maintains its emergency response committee.

According to the step-by-step collective action roadmap disclosed by the KIRA Emergency Response Committee on that day, Stage 1 involves all resident doctors returning to work and each hospital maintaining its emergency response committee. Stage 2 involves suspension of non-essential duties by resident doctors while maintaining COVID-19 related tasks, and the final Stage 3 involves all resident doctors stopping work entirely, with COVID-19 related duties performed on a volunteer basis.

The KIRA Emergency Response Committee also expressed that if medical students who have refused to take the national medical licensing exam are not supported, they will escalate the level of collective action. Chairperson Park said, "Protecting medical students is a natural premise," and added, "If the students are not allowed to retake the exam within two weeks or have the exam postponed as they wish, we will strengthen collective action."

Currently, they are entering Stage 1 of collective action, but if additional support measures for medical students are not presented, they plan to raise the level of struggle, including work stoppage.

The KIRA Emergency Response Committee decided to temporarily suspend collective action at the delegates' general meeting held from the evening of the 5th to the early morning of the 6th. Chairperson Park had indicated the return of resident doctors to work the day before, stating, "The Korean Medical Association's 'snap signature' with the government and ruling party has weakened the justification for collective action."

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