Lim Hyun-taek, president of the Korean Medical Association, speaks during a rally at the association's office in central Seoul's Yongsan District, Sunday. Yonhap
The Korean Medical Association (KMA), the nation's largest doctors' group, announced its plan, Sunday, to launch an all-out strike on June 18, as the ongoing tug of war between the government and the medical community over a health care reform plan shows no signs of abating.
The KMA's planned collective action, which would be the first of its kind since 2020, is in solidarity with thousands of trainee doctors who have been on strike since late February.
According to the KMA, representing around 140,000 physicians nationwide, including those from general hospitals and private clinics, 90.6 percent of the 70,800 members who participated in the survey supported the organization's hardline stance against the government's medical reform plan. Additionally, 73.5 percent of the respondents agreed on participating in the collective action in this regard.
Out of approximately 112,000 active members, 63.3 percent took part in the vote, which ran from Tuesday through Friday.
Based on the survey results, the association decided to go on strike on June 18 and hold a mass rally. It noted that whether or not the strike will continue after that day depends on the government's response.
The doctors' group sought public understanding of what it described as an "inevitable action to counter the government's tyranny over the medical community."
"The government and the ruling party are still refusing to acknowledge their mistakes and are continuing to push ahead with flawed medical policies. Now, it is time for our 140,000 doctors to form a united front against the government and the ruling party and correct these misguided policies," KMA President Lim Hyun-taek said during a rally at the association's office in central Seoul's Yongsan District.
If launched, it will be the first all-out collective action by physicians in Korea since a similar strike in 2020. In August that year, the KMA led a nationwide doctors' walkout to protest the government's plan to increase the admissions quota for medical schools, which lasted for two weeks.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks during a press briefing at the Government Complex Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap
In a televised briefing, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo expressed deep regrets over the KMA's planned move, describing it as an "illegal action holding people's lives at stake." At the same time, he assured that trainee doctors who choose to return to work will face no penalties, stating that the government suspended administrative measures imposed on them.
"The government will make sure that there will be no penalty for trainee doctors who return to work. We once again promise that those who return will not face any administrative measures," Han said during the briefing held minutes before the KMA's announcement.
The prime minister also reaffirmed the government's commitment to medical reform. In late May, the government finalized its plan to increase admissions quotas at medical schools by approximately 1,500 for the 2025 academic year. This increase, although the figure was scaled down from the initial plan of 2,000, was the core component of the health care reform package.
Doctors take part in a candlelit vigil near Seoul City Hall on May 30 in protest of the government's medical reform plan. Yonhap
The prime minister's briefing failed to offer a major breakthrough in the ongoing stalemate, leaving the situation at a standstill or potentially worsening, considering that senior doctors are now joining the collective movement led initially by junior doctors.
Lim is widely known for his staunch opposition to the government. Since he took office in May, the doctors' lobby group has refused to engage in negotiations with the government unless it completely reconsiders its medical admissions quota hike plan.
As for the trainee doctors, who have been on strike for over three months, they remain steadfast despite the Ministry of Health and Welfare's June 4 announcement of withdrawing return-to-work orders imposed on them. The ministry also reversed its decision to suspend the licenses of doctors on strike who defied the return-to-work order.
Since late February, over 10,000 trainee doctors nationwide have initiated a mass resignation movement to protest the government's plan to increase the medical school admissions quota starting next year.
The planned increase aims to address a looming shortage of doctors. Currently, Korea has the second-lowest number of doctors per patient among OECD member nations, with 2.6 doctors for every 1,000 people.
A patient is seen at a general hospital in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap
'Stop holding us hostage'
The prolonged tug of war between the government and doctors has led to widespread medical disruptions nationwide, with reduced surgeries and canceled appointments affecting numerous patients. The KMA's decision to launch an all-out strike is expected to aggravate the situation further.
"We're exhausted. There's nothing we can do other than plead with doctors to refrain from launching any more strikes," said Ahn Ki-jong, head of the Korea Alliance of Patients Organization, told The Korea Times, Sunday.
The organization believes that neither the government nor the doctors are prioritizing the well-being of patients, who are being held hostage in their prolonged standoff.
Public fatigue over the medical standoff is reflected in recent surveys, which show that a majority of people believe that the doctors have gone too far. According to a poll conducted by the Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union in the last week of May, 85.6 percent of 1,000 respondents agreed that the doctors should return to work, while only 12 percent supported their collective action.