After Seol, 'Medical Strike'... Government Makes All-Out Efforts to Prepare Emergency Measures (Comprehensive)
Strict Measures Including Ban on 'Collective Resignation Letters' Submission
Minister and Vice Minister Meet On-site Medical Staff to Encourage Their Efforts
All-out Efforts to Minimize Medical Service Gaps
As the medical community is expected to launch a general strike immediately after the Lunar New Year holiday, the government has begun preparing comprehensive countermeasures. It has established a Central Accident Response Headquarters (CARH) to closely monitor the situation in response to the doctors' collective action, while on the ground, efforts are being made to minimize medical service gaps by visiting and encouraging healthcare workers.
On the 7th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare held a meeting with health directors from 17 cities and provinces to review the emergency medical system in preparation for the Korean Medical Association's general strike and other collective actions by the medical community. At the meeting, the ministry discussed trends in doctors' collective actions following the increase in medical school admissions, as well as emergency room operations and other emergency medical measures during the Lunar New Year holiday.
A ministry official stated, "Assuming a strike by the medical community after the Lunar New Year holiday, we requested local governments to establish emergency medical response systems to prepare for situations requiring urgent care," adding, "We will continuously monitor the emergency medical situation." The ministry plans to set up an information collection system on emergency medical institutions and operate a 24-hour emergency medical system for essential services such as emergency rooms and intensive care units.
On the previous day (the 6th), when the 2025 academic year medical school admission quotas were announced, the ministry immediately raised the health care crisis level to the 'alert' stage and activated the 'Central Accident Response Headquarters for Doctors' Collective Action (CARH)' to prepare for doctors' collective actions.
At the CARH meeting that day, a 'Response Plan for Doctors' Collective Action' was also discussed. Four related ministries?Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of National Defense, and National Police Agency?along with 17 cities and provinces participated, agreeing to proactively establish an inter-ministerial rapid response system and coordinate joint responses to illegal collective actions by the medical community.
The government also plans to actively respond to some residents who are considering submitting 'collective resignation letters' in advance to nullify work commencement orders.
Based on Article 59 of the Medical Service Act and Article 15 of the Specialist Training Regulations, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has ordered training hospitals to prohibit acceptance of collective resignation letters. During the doctors' collective action in 2020, the Ministry of Justice stated that "even if collective resignation letters are submitted as part of collective action, lawful work commencement orders can be issued, and refusal without just cause may result in punishment."
The National Police Agency plans to strictly respond to the medical community's collective actions that violate work commencement orders and cause confusion and inconvenience to the public's medical use. Illegal acts such as violations of work commencement orders by individual hospitals, clinics, and residents nationwide will be promptly investigated, with summons issued. For organizations and individuals leading the collective action, metropolitan and provincial police agencies will conduct direct investigations, and if they refuse to appear, arrest warrants will be obtained for swift tracking and apprehension.
Acts that induce collective actions by medical organizations will also be prevented. The government plans to strictly investigate and impose corresponding punishments by applying charges such as instigation and aiding and abetting violations of work commencement orders under the Medical Service Act.
In addition to strong measures to prevent medical service gaps, efforts are also being made to directly meet and appease frontline medical staff.
On the same day, Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong visited Seoul St. Mary's Hospital to inspect the emergency medical system to ensure no disruption in care during the Lunar New Year holiday and to encourage frontline workers engaged in emergency care.
Minister Cho said, "It is thanks to the dedication of medical staff who protect emergency medical sites with a strong sense of duty even during the holiday that we can safeguard the health and lives of the people," expressing encouragement and gratitude to the frontline workers.
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Deputy Minister Park Min-su also met with cardiology specialists in the afternoon to listen to their difficulties on site and held a meeting to explore related improvement measures. Deputy Minister Park said, "I appreciate the hard work and sacrifice of medical personnel in essential medical fields," adding, "We will thoroughly review and improve the difficulties and various suggestions from the field."
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