According to Yonhap news agency, on March 12, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called for the government to quickly implement healthcare reforms, including increasing the number of medical school students, as a nationwide strike by trainee doctors continues.
The President's spokesman said Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol made the above call at a meeting with senior secretaries.
Patients line up at the emergency room of a hospital in Seoul, South Korea on March 5, 2024. (Photo: Yonhap/VNA)
Over the past three weeks, more than 90 percent of the country's 13,000 medical interns have quit their jobs in a mass resignation to protest the government 's decision to increase enrollment quotas at medical schools by 2,000 starting next academic year to address a shortage of doctors.
Earlier, on March 11, professors at Seoul National University (SNU) medical school decided to submit their resignations en masse next week if the government fails to make a “reasonable breakthrough” in the prolonged strike by trainee doctors.
Medical professors at the Catholic University of Korea also warned that they will continue to suspend surgeries and reduce treatment activities for both inpatients and outpatients.
Responding to this, another official from the President's Office warned of a stern response to medical school professors who resigned.
“When the President asked for a quick implementation (of health reform) in principle, professors leaving their workplaces en masse also violated the health law and so they are not an exception,” the official said.
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