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Doctor protesters hold placards reading 'Stop Populism medical policy', during a protest against the government's medical policy, near the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, 14 Febriaru 2024

epa11151511 Doctor protesters hold placards reading 'Stop Populism medical policy', during a protest against the government's medical policy, near the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, 14 Febriaru 2024. Members of Gyonggi-do Medical Association of doctor protesters gathered to oppose government plans to increase the number of students at medical schools.  EPA-EFE/JEON HEON-KYUN

Article (news)

Doctors protest in South Korea

Agence France-Presse

<p data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;box-sizing:border-box;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:normal;color:rgb(232, 230, 227);orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(24, 26, 27);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-top:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-right:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-left:initial;--darkreader-inline-color:#d8d4cf;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#131516">South Korea ordered trainee doctors back to work Monday after they resigned en masse to protest medical training reforms, with the government looking at using military medics to cope with shortfalls.</p><p data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;box-sizing:border-box;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:normal;color:rgb(232, 230, 227);orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(24, 26, 27);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-top:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-right:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-left:initial;--darkreader-inline-color:#d8d4cf;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#131516">South Korea says it has one of the lowest doctor-to-population ratios among developed countries, and the government is pushing hard to increase the number of doctors, partly to help a fast-ageing society.</p><p data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;box-sizing:border-box;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:normal;color:rgb(232, 230, 227);orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(24, 26, 27);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-top:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-right:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-left:initial;--darkreader-inline-color:#d8d4cf;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#131516">But doctors have voiced fierce opposition to a new government plan to sharply raise medical school admissions, claiming it would hurt the quality of service provision. Critics say doctors are mainly concerned the reform could erode their salaries and social status.</p><p data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;box-sizing:border-box;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:normal;color:rgb(232, 230, 227);orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(24, 26, 27);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-top:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-right:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-left:initial;--darkreader-inline-color:#d8d4cf;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#131516">On Monday, despite government threats of legal action, hundreds of trainee doctors handed in their resignations and were set to stop work from Tuesday.</p><p data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;box-sizing:border-box;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:normal;color:rgb(232, 230, 227);orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(24, 26, 27);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-top:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-right:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-left:initial;--darkreader-inline-color:#d8d4cf;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#131516">But the government said it had &quot;issued treatment maintenance orders for all trainee doctors&quot;, Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo said at a press briefing, referring to a legal measure to prevent work stoppages by medical practitioners.</p><p data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;box-sizing:border-box;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:normal;color:rgb(232, 230, 227);orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(24, 26, 27);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-top:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-right:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-left:initial;--darkreader-inline-color:#d8d4cf;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#131516">Under South Korean medical laws, doctors -- who are considered essential workers -- are restricted from undertaking mass work stoppages.</p><p data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;box-sizing:border-box;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:normal;color:rgb(232, 230, 227);orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(24, 26, 27);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-top:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-right:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-left:initial;--darkreader-inline-color:#d8d4cf;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#131516">&quot;I implore trainee doctors to not turn their backs on patients,&quot; he said, adding the government would be inspecting hospitals to check whether doctors had joined the strike.</p><p data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;box-sizing:border-box;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:normal;color:rgb(232, 230, 227);orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(24, 26, 27);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-top:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-right:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-left:initial;--darkreader-inline-color:#d8d4cf;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#131516">The police warned they could arrest &quot;key instigators&quot; of the work stoppages.</p><p data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;box-sizing:border-box;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:normal;color:rgb(232, 230, 227);orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(24, 26, 27);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-top:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-right:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-left:initial;--darkreader-inline-color:#d8d4cf;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#131516">The training reforms call for a 65 percent increase in the number of students admitted to medical schools, starting from 2025.</p><p data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;box-sizing:border-box;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:normal;color:rgb(232, 230, 227);orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(24, 26, 27);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-top:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-right:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-left:initial;--darkreader-inline-color:#d8d4cf;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#131516">The plan is popular with the public, who experts suggest are tired of long wait times at hospitals, with a recent Korean Gallup poll showing over 75 percent of respondents in favour, regardless of political affiliation.</p><p data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;box-sizing:border-box;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:normal;color:rgb(232, 230, 227);orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(24, 26, 27);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-top:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-right:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-left:initial;--darkreader-inline-color:#d8d4cf;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#131516">But it has drawn fierce opposition from doctors, with the Korean Medical Association saying the government&#x27;s threats of legal action were akin to a &quot;witch hunt&quot; and  claiming the plan would create a &quot;Cuban-style socialist medical system&quot;.</p><p data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;box-sizing:border-box;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:normal;color:rgb(232, 230, 227);orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(24, 26, 27);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-top:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-right:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-left:initial;--darkreader-inline-color:#d8d4cf;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#131516">Vice Minister Park said the plan was necessary in South Korea&#x27;s fast-ageing society, with doctors set to be &quot;overwhelmed with exponential demand&quot; down the road if the current quota remained.</p><p data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;box-sizing:border-box;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:normal;color:rgb(232, 230, 227);orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(24, 26, 27);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-top:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-right:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-left:initial;--darkreader-inline-color:#d8d4cf;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#131516">&quot;Hospitals are already having hard time finding doctors now, and problems of accessing medical service in time have occurred repeatedly,&quot; Park added.</p><p data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;box-sizing:border-box;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:normal;color:rgb(232, 230, 227);orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(24, 26, 27);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-top:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-right:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-left:initial;--darkreader-inline-color:#d8d4cf;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#131516">More than 700 trainee doctors have resigned so far, the government said.</p><p data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="" data-darkreader-inline-border-bottom="" data-darkreader-inline-border-left="" data-darkreader-inline-border-right="" data-darkreader-inline-border-top="" data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="margin:1em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;box-sizing:border-box;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:normal;color:rgb(232, 230, 227);orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(24, 26, 27);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-top:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-right:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-bottom:initial;--darkreader-inline-border-left:initial;--darkreader-inline-color:#d8d4cf;--darkreader-inline-bgcolor:#131516">The defence ministry said it would open military hospital emergency wards to the public if the doctors pushed ahead with the strike, and was considering dispatching military doctors to civilian hospitals to help cover the shortfall.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>South Korea ordered trainee doctors back to work Monday after they resigned en masse to protest medical training reforms, with the government looking at using military medics to cope with shortfalls.</p>

South Korea ordered trainee doctors back to work Monday after they resigned en masse to protest medical training reforms, with the government looking at using military medics to cope with shortfalls.

South Korean government orders doctors back to hospitals

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South Korean government orders doctors back to hospitals

Agence France-Presse

Published Feb 19, 2024 04:10 PM PHT

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