Doctors hold a protest in front of the presidential office in central Seoul on Feb. 15, 2024, in opposition to the government plan to increase the number of medical students. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Trainee doctors of five major general hospitals in Seoul have decided to submit their letters of resignation en masse Monday, in a move certain to intensify their strike threat over a plan to boost the number of medical students, a group of trainee doctors has said.
Friday’s decision came after representatives of the trainee doctors ended an emergency meeting earlier in the day, according to the Korea Intern Resident Association.
The trainee doctors at the five hospitals also decided to walk off the job at 6:00 a.m. next Tuesday, the association said.
Doctors have warned of a massive strike and other responses in opposition to the government’s decision announced last week to add 2,000 to the country’s medical school enrollment quota next year, marking a sharp rise from the current 3,058 seats.
The five hospitals are Asan Medical Center, Samsung Medical Center, Severance Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital and Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital.
In a bid to block a potential strike, the government has ordered training hospitals to reject such resignation letters from intern and resident doctors.
Unless residents step down legally as doctors, they must return to work if the government issues an administrative order because doctors are classified as essential workers.
On Monday, the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol said the government’s decision to increase the medical school quota is “irreversible” and the collective action by doctors has “no justification.”
The public opinion is also unfavorable to the doctors, according to a survey conducted by the Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union in December, where 89.3 percent of the respondents supported the government’s plan and 85.6 percent were against the doctors going on strike.
Despite the government’s warning of a stern response, medical students were also pushing for boycotting classes en masse in protest of the medical school quota hike plan.
The Korean Medical Student Association has conducted a survey on all medical students across the country on whether they approve of a plan to submit a leave of absence. The seniors at Hallym University College of Medicine have already announced they will leave school temporarily.
(Yonhap)
