Up to now, there has been little sign of either side backing down. Thousands of South Korean doctors held a mass rally on Sunday organised by the Korean Medical Association (KMA), which represents private practitioners, defying official calls for the trainee physicians to return to work.
The World Medical Association, a group representing physicians, said in a statement on Sunday it “strongly condemns the actions of the Korean government in attempting to stifle the voices of elected leaders within the Korean Medical Association”, adding it affirmed the right of doctors to collective action, including strikes.
The young doctors who are protesting say the government should first address pay and working conditions before trying to increase the number of physicians.
The government says the plan to increase the number of students admitted to medical schools by 2,000 starting in the 2025 academic year is needed in a rapidly ageing society, with one of the lowest doctor-to-patient ratios in developed economies – 2.6 doctors per 1,000 people.
The plan to boost medical school admissions is popular with the public, with about 76 per cent of respondents in favour, regardless of political affiliation, a recent Gallup Korea poll found.
Some critics, however, accuse President Yoon Suk Yeol’s government of not consulting enough and of picking a fight over the issue ahead of parliamentary elections in April.
