SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol addressed the ongoing doctors’ strike on Monday, condemning what he described as a “cartel” of medics opposing sector reforms. Despite the month-long strike causing disruptions to crucial treatments and surgeries, the government remains steadfast in its plans, even threatening legal action against striking doctors.
The strike, initiated by thousands of trainee doctors on February 20, is in protest against proposed training reforms by the government. These reforms include plans to increase medical school admissions by 2,000 starting next year, aimed at addressing shortages in the medical workforce and catering to the needs of an ageing population. However, doctors argue that such reforms will compromise service quality.
President Yoon defended the proposed increase in medical school admissions, stating that it was based on thorough reviews of relevant statistics and research concerning current and future medical needs. He emphasized that even with this increase, there would still be a shortfall, particularly in areas outside the capital Seoul.
Despite facing the suspension of their medical licenses, President Yoon urged striking medics to return to their hospitals before facing further consequences. He highlighted the failure of previous governments to implement similar reforms, attributing the persistence of the doctors’ opposition to past failures.
President Yoon called on the medical community to present the government with a unified blueprint supported by clear scientific reasoning if they oppose the current reform plan. He expressed openness to discussing alternatives that are deemed more rational and reasonable.
The upcoming South Korean election adds another layer of significance to the ongoing dispute, with Yoon’s party seeking to regain its majority in parliament. Public sentiment initially favored the government’s stance on the strike, but recent polls suggest a shift in sentiment, with a majority now calling for adjustments to the reform plan.
In response, the opposition Democratic Party criticized President Yoon for being fixated on the numerical aspect of the reforms and urged him to consider adjusting the plan based on the medical situation. Democratic Party MP Shin Hyun-young emphasized the need for the government to move away from its insistence on the specific increase of 2,000 medical school slots.
