Health minister warns trainee doctors will face punishment unless they return to work by Thursday
Korea HeraldFeb 29
Government Threatens Legal Action in SKorea Doctor Strike
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Image copyright: Chung Sung-Jun/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Junior doctors in South Korea are expected to continue their strike against the government’s plan to drastically increase the quota for medical students in the country, even as the government threatens to revoke their medical licenses and potentially pursue legal action.
The South Korean government set a Thursday deadline for medical interns and residents to return to work, but as of Wednesday night, 9K of the country’s 13K junior doctors left their hospitals after submitting resignations, while only 294 had returned to work.
The Spin
Narrative A
South Korean junior doctors have legitimate reasons to continue their protests, and the government would be wise to listen to them instead of threatening the nation's youngest medical professionals. Despite an aging population, the South Korean medical system is running smoothly, and there is no reason to impose a near-70% increase in the number of medical students. This rash and dramatic decision would only decrease the quality of medical education and promote unqualified prospective students. Instead, the government should work to fairly compensate medical interns and residents for their tireless labor and promote a system that rewards the next generation of doctors.
Narrative B
Trainee doctors have made their position loud and clear, and it is now time for them to return to work and resume providing necessary healthcare. The entire dispute revolves around the looming population troubles that await South Korea given its rapidly aging population, and the government is looking to take steps to avert a potential crisis. Meanwhile, young doctors don’t believe that the situation is dire and doesn't merit a dramatic increase in medical school classrooms. Regardless of whether there’s a medical crisis in the future, this strike is unnecessarily creating a medical disaster right now. The government has been patient, and it's time for doctors to come back.
