SEOUL — In response to the Korean Medical Association's (KMA) threat of a large-scale strike against the planned increase in medical school enrollment quotas, the South Korean government has vowed to use "all means" necessary to maintain public health services.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the second vice minister at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the government is preparing a comprehensive response to ensure the protection of the lives and health of the South Korean people. The government's decision to raise the medical student quota by 2,000 next year has been met with strong opposition from the medical community, which argues that the move could lead to an oversupply of medical personnel without addressing the shortage of doctors in rural areas. The health ministry has taken steps to prevent the strike by instructing training hospitals to refuse collective resignation letters from residents, emphasizing the essential worker status of doctors and their legal obligation to return to work under government orders.