Doctors’ Pickett Protest at Seoul Asan Medical Center
(Photo credit: https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25247038#ho)
On May 10th, the Korean government submitted around 50 documents on the policy about increasing the capacity of medical schools to the court for its approval. On the same day, over 42,000 Korean medical professionals filed a petition to the Korean court, arguing that the government's policy was unfair because it could dilute the quality of medical education and worsen working conditions for existing professionals.
In February, the South Korean Government announced an increase in the capacity of medical schools. However, Korean doctors are implacably opposed to the policy, and they went on strike with some resigning in protest of the policy. This strike continued from February to May.
On February 6th, the Minister of Health and Welfare announced a healthcare reform to combat the risk of a system collapse after an event like COVID-19 and to better prepare for a "super-aging" society. They decided to expand the number of medical school students by 2,000 people, for a total of 5,058 students from 2025 to 2030. The government used data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to explain why they are trying to increase the capacity. The 2021 data shows that in the ratio of doctors per 1,000 people, Korea has one of the lowest at 2.6 while the average of OECD37 has 3.7.
The government added ‘Four Medical Policy Packages’ to persuade the doctors. These are additional policies, which include medical personnel expansion, local medical care strengthening, national compensation increases for medical malpractice punishment for accidents, and increased medical care fees in essential medical care and intensive medical care.
The Korean Medical Association (KMA) is against the government’s new policies and argues that the doctors’ fundamental avoidance of essential medical care is due to poor treatment and the heavy burden of lawsuits due to medical accidents. Therefore, they claim that the government’s policies won't be effective, and they want the government to focus on the better treatment of current doctors. They said the sudden increase in medical school enrollment by 2,000 students will negatively impact the quality of education for medical students. Dr. Lujain Alqodmani, president of the World Medical Association (WMA), sent a video on March 4th , stating that the WMA will stand firmly in support of the KMA. She also argued for the Korean government to seize the forceful measures imposed on the medical community.
Students at Mason Korea expressed their opinions regarding the ongoing conflict. When asked about the Korean government’s announcement of increasing 2,000 medical school enrollment, Sion Chen, a Conflict Analysis and Resolution major, responded that the new policies don’t seem to be a good solution for the imbalance in medical personnel. Sion added that focusing on supporting essential medical care is more important.
Students also shared how they viewed the situation of the Korean doctor’s strike. Giselle Rahimi, a Global Affairs major, opposed the decision to increase medical students. Giselle stressed the need for the government to prioritize fair pay and manageable workloads for medical professionals. Haeun Yoo, a Business major, responded that the doctors’ strike was too risky compared to other occupational strikes because they left the patients behind.
The common Korean healthcare problem is that medical disparity happens by region and specialty. For example, rural areas often have fewer specialists and advanced medical facilities compared to urban centers. The doctors’ group strike will likely continue until negotiation between the Korean Government and the Korean Medical Association occurs. Patients are left experiencing longer waits because of doctor absences, asking “Where are the doctors?”
Written by Heewon Yang | Staff Writer
Revised by Seohyun Kim | Managing Editor
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