SEOUL — Following a controversial meeting between President Yoon Suk Yeol and the head of a striking trainee doctors' group, a major South Korean doctors' association has expressed its positive assessment, pledging a united stance with trainee doctors and medical professors against the government's plan to increase medical school admissions.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the recent dialogue, which involved Park Dan, leader of the emergency committee at the Korea Intern Resident Association (KIRA), marked the first direct communication of its kind in the face of the ongoing dispute. The government's proposal seeks to expand medical school admissions by 2,000 seats starting next year, aiming to mitigate a nationwide doctor shortage. This proposal has prompted more than 90 percent of the country's 13,000 trainee doctors to strike since February 20, significantly disrupting hospital operations across South Korea.
However, the meeting between Park and President Yoon has drawn criticism from some trainee doctors, accusing Park of unilateral decision-making. Despite this, Kim Seong-geun, an official from the Korea Medical Association's (KMA) emergency committee, highlighted the meeting's importance, noting it allowed for direct communication of trainee doctors' concerns and demands.
In response to the ongoing impasse, the KMA has announced plans for a joint press briefing with traine doctors, medical school students, and other medical organizations after the April 10 general elections, signaling a concerted effort to present a unified front in negotiations with the government.
The medical community's collective stance raises hopes for an expedited resolution, although no significant breakthrough has yet been achieved. Following the discussions, Park cryptically remarked on social media about the bleak future of medical services in South Korea without further elaboration.
The KMA has urged the government to reconsider the quota increase from the ground up, emphasizing the need for the administration to halt its current course of action as a gesture of sincerity, potentially facilitating the return of striking doctors and students.
Amid these tensions, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo reiterated the government's flexibility on the admission adjustment plan in a Sunday interview, stressing an openness to dialogue without rigid adherence to specific numbers. However, the government has already assigned the proposed admission quotas to universities.
In solidarity with the junior doctors, medical school professors across the nation have tendered their resignations and adjusted their work schedules to support the strike, significantly reducing outpatient services and other medical treatments.
The government maintains that the increase in admissions is essential to address the shortage of medical professionals in rural regions and specialized fields, anticipating a shortfall of 15,000 doctors by 2035. The medical community counters that more comprehensive measures are needed to improve protection from malpractice suits and enhance incentives for physicians in underserved areas.