A medical worker walks through a university hospital in Seoul amid the ongoing conflict between the government and medical doctors, which has now reached its one-year mark, Feb. 3. Yonhap

The conflict between the government and medical doctors in Korea has now reached a tense one-year mark, sparked by a controversial decision in February 2024 to increase the medical school quota by 2,000.

The Korean government aimed to boost medical school quotas in 2024 to combat a shortage of doctors, especially in rural areas and essential medical fields like pediatrics and surgery. Doctors protested, saying the issue was not numbers but distribution, poor working conditions and systemic health care problems, leading to strikes and disruptions.

With both sides remaining entrenched in their positions and the political landscape further unsettled by the ongoing impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol, concerns are mounting over the prolonged impact on patients, medical school students and the broader health care system.

Medical school students who took a leave of absence to protest the government's plan are showing no sign of returning, with concerns looming just one month before the start of the first semester.

Choi Sung-min, a 25-year-old medical school student, told The Korea Times on Friday that he is considering enlisting in the armed forces, as the unrest among medical students is making it difficult for him to continue his studies.

"As the conflict continues, I believe the approach taken by departments responsible for essential medical care — commonly known as 'specialties to avoid' — is deeply flawed," Choi said.

"I had originally considered pursuing a career in essential medical fields like internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics. But after this incident, I've been rethinking my decision and am now considering not pursuing a career in this field," Choi added.

He noted that, instead of addressing the root causes of the issue, the government's actions appear to be exacerbating the situation with unnecessary measures.

As Choi's case illustrates, the prolonged conflict is taking a toll on both the medical service sector and medical education.

Doctor's gowns are left on a desk in a classroom at a medical school in Seoul, reflecting the continued leave of absence by medical students amid a protracted feud with the government over reforms, Jan. 7. Yonhap

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, only 1,171 out of 13,531 trainee doctors at 211 training hospitals nationwide — just 8.7 percent — had returned to work as of Tuesday.

Between Jan. 15 and 19, only 199 doctors — just 2.2 percent of the 9,220 in their first to fourth years of residency — applied for the most recent openings at hospitals.

Despite the government's efforts to encourage the return of trainee doctors by offering exemptions from training and military service, applications fell far short of expectations.

The shortage is further exacerbated by a sharp decline in the number of new doctors entering the workforce.

While more than 3,000 doctors typically enter the field each year, fewer than 300 have done so this year. Additionally, the number of newly certified specialists has plummeted to just 20 percent of last year's figure.

To address the shortage of trainee doctors in hospitals, the government has invested a significant amount of money. According to data from the health ministry and the National Health Insurance Service, submitted to Rep. Ahn Do-geol of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, the government has spent approximately 3.3 trillion won ($2.27 billion) in response to the crisis.

However, the ongoing conflict between the government and the medical sector has left critical gaps in health care services, with seriously ill patients, including cancer patients, bearing the brunt of delayed or canceled treatments and surgeries.

Hospital mortality rates also increased during this period.

Between February and July 2023, about 4.92 million patients were hospitalized at domestic medical institutions, with 45,724 deaths. In contrast, during the same period last year, approximately 4.67 million were hospitalized, but deaths rose to 47,270.

Concerns over medical education are also growing.

The medical community warns that if both medical students who took a leave of absence and incoming students show up for classes this year, the student body will exceed 7,500 — more than double the usual number.

There is still no official dialogue between the government and the medical community. The Korean Medical Association (KMA) said it has been consistently holding the government accountable for the ongoing situation but had yet to offer a clear response.

"We are waiting and monitoring the situation. There are efforts within the organization to unify the voice of the medical community," a KMA spokesperson said.