Historic Medical Strike Planned for June 20 in South Korea

The Korean Medical Association (KMA), the country’s largest doctors’ organization with more than 129,000 members, has announced plans to hold a strike on June 20. This strike is in response to the government’s decision to increase the quota for medical students and pressure officials to cancel administrative penalty regulations for interns and residents who quit their jobs in February. It is expected that more than 50,000 doctors nationwide will take part in the strike, making it the largest collective action in history.

Professors from 40 medical schools have also decided to go on a one-day strike organized by the Korean Medical Professors Association on June 18. However, hospitals have assured that emergency rooms and treatment of critically ill patients will not be affected by the strike. South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has called on doctors to cancel the strike plan in order to prevent further escalation of the deadlock between officials and the medical community.

Since February 20, resident doctors and interns have been on a collective strike to oppose the government’s policy of increasing enrollment quotas by 2,000. The government argues that this is necessary to address an aging population and provide more doctors in rural areas. However, the medical community believes that this will lower the quality of medical education and increase patients’ medical costs. They are calling for improved salaries and benefits for doctors and stronger legal protections against medical malpractice lawsuits.

Despite the protests and strikes, the government has proceeded with plans to increase admission quotas to medical schools by about 1,500 next year,