Gov't promises 'unprecedented support' for junior doctors amid ongoing strike

Social Affairs

Published: 31 May. 2024, 18:12

Gov't promises 'unprecedented support' for junior doctors amid ongoing strike

Doctors walk near a hospital in Seoul on Friday. [NEWS1]

The government on Friday promised "unprecedented support" for junior doctors, including reducing work hours, amid the lingering strike against the medical school enrollment quota hike.

Deputy Health Minister Jun Byung-wang said that support for junior doctors will be expanded, while calling the anticipated collective action by doctors announced a day earlier "meaningless."

"The new law to reduce working hours for junior doctors will be implemented in February 2026," Jun said during a press briefing held at Government Complex Seoul in central Seoul. "Prior to the implementation, a pilot program to reduce consecutive working hours for junior doctors will start today."

A total of 42 hospitals nationwide will join the initiative, which will reduce the working hours of doctors from the current 36 hours to around 24 to 30 hours. Six hospitals — Kangwon National University Hospital, Korea University Guro Hospital, Daegu Fatima Hospital, Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital and Inha University Hospital — have implemented the initiative starting Friday. Junior doctors in Korea worked around 77.7 hours per week as of 2022, according to the Korean Intern Resident Association.

The other 36 hospitals will begin the program as they are ready. The program will run through April next year.

Deputy Health Minister Jun Byung-wang speaks in a press briefing held at Government Complex Seoul in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Friday. [NEWS1]

The government on the same day called for striking doctors to resume work, saying that they would minimize punishments against returning doctors.

More than 13,000 junior doctors have submitted resignations and refused to report to work at hospitals nationwide since Feb. 20 to protest the government’s plan to hike the medical school admissions quota by 2,000 spots.

On Thursday night during a candlelight vigil held in central Seoul, the Korea Medical Association (KMA) forecast a "major battle" against the government in June, criticizing the government for taking the country down a "road to ruin" with its decision to raise the medical school enrollment quota. The association organized candlelight vigils to protest the government’s decision in six locations nationwide, including Seoul and Busan, on Thursday. According to the KMA, around 2,000 people participated in the Seoul protest.

Regarding the KMA's hinted collective action, the Health Ministry dismissed it meaningless, saying that everything related to the medical school enrollment quota hike for the 2025 admission is in the past. But the government emphasized that they are open to conversations with the medical community.

The Education Ministry finalized admission plans for the 2025 school year on Thursday, announcing the addition of 1,497 seats to 39 medical schools nationwide. A total of 4,610 undergraduate students will be admitted to these medical schools in the 2025 academic year.

The government further promised to enhance the quality of education at medical schools, highlighting plans to increase the number of professors at national medical schools through 2027.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]