Doctors Rally in Seoul in Support of Striking Juniors

Thousands of senior doctors gathered in Seoul, South Korea, to show solidarity with junior doctors who have been on strike for almost two weeks. The strike was in response to a government proposal to significantly increase medical school admissions.

Government Threatens License Suspension

The government announced plans to suspend the licenses of nearly 9,000 medical interns and residents for defying orders to end their strike. This move comes after disruptions in hospital operations due to the walkouts.

Doctors Unite Against Medical Policy

Senior member of the Korea Medical Association, Park Sung-min, addressed the rally condemning the government's medical policy. He called for an end to threats and suppression against the protesting doctors.

Impact of Strikes

Out of 13,000 medical interns and residents, over 8,900 have left their posts, leading to surgery cancellations and treatment delays in major hospitals. The striking doctors play a crucial role in assisting senior doctors during medical procedures.

Call for Senior Doctors' Support

While senior doctors have shown support through rallies, they have not joined the strikes. The Prime Minister urged them to convince the junior doctors to return to work to avoid a major setback in the country's medical service.

Investigating Korea Medical Association Officials

Police Probe into Accusations

Government's Proposal for Medical School Quotas

Increase in Enrollment

The government of South Korea has proposed to raise the country's medical school enrollment quota by 2,000 starting next year, up from the current 3,058. This initiative aims to address the challenges posed by the nation's rapidly aging population. It has been highlighted that South Korea's doctor-to-population ratio is one of the lowest among developed nations.

Doctor Community Protests

Concerns and Opposition

Despite the government's intentions, many doctors have strongly opposed the plan, arguing that medical schools would struggle to accommodate such a significant influx of students. They also point out that the proposed recruitment strategy fails to tackle the persistent shortage of doctors in vital yet low-paying specialties such as pediatrics and emergency medicine. Additionally, doctors warn that an oversupply of physicians could inflate public medical expenses, as heightened competition might lead to unnecessary treatments.

Quality of Medical Education at Risk

Warning from KMA Leader

Expressing apprehensions about the potential repercussions, Lee Jeong-geun, acting leader of the Korea Medical Association, cautioned that without well-defined educational strategies for the additional students, the quality of medical education could deteriorate drastically. This could ultimately result in compromised and unsafe healthcare services, leading to a collapse of the healthcare system in South Korea.

Public Opinion and Criticism

Lack of Public Support

Despite the protests from doctors, a recent survey indicates that a majority of South Koreans stand in favor of the government's proposed expansion of medical school quotas. Some critics have suggested that doctors, who are among the highest-earning professionals in the country, are predominantly concerned about potential income reductions associated with an increased number of physicians.