Many hospitals in South Korea join the strike and the government issues an ultimatum.
The 2024 South Korean doctors’ strike is an ongoing strike, which began on February 20, 2024. Doctors in South Korea expressed dissatisfaction with the announcement of new government policies significantly increasing the medical student quotas.
Despite the government’s insistence, thousands of interns and resident doctors have resigned and gone on strike to protest this plan. The strike has severely impacted South Korea’s healthcare system, with over half of the medical professors at Seoul National University Hospital participating in an indefinite strike.
The Korea Medical Association continues to support the strike, urging authorities to reconsider the policy of expanding medical student admissions. This prolonged strike has put the South Korean healthcare system in a difficult situation.
While some healthcare workers believe that increasing medical school enrollment will only marginally help address doctor shortages in rural areas, nearly 80% of the public opposes the strike according to a recent Nownsurvey poll. Violating the government’s return-to-work order could result in license revocation or other legal consequences for doctors. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed disappointment over the strike by physicians.
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