Unionized Workers at Seoul National University Hospital Set to Strike Over Health Care Reforms

SEOUL: Unionized workers at Seoul National University (SNU) Hospital, one of South Korea's largest health care institutions, have announced their intention to begin an indefinite strike on October 31. The decision comes in response to the government's proposed health care reforms and what the workers describe as unsatisfactory working conditions. According to Yonhap News Agency, the union's decision to strike was made during a meeting held on Friday, following unsuccessful negotiations with hospital management. The union is demanding that the hospital maintain its current number of beds, improve working conditions, and increase wages for its members. The union has accused the government of undermining the public health care system by planning to cut the number of beds at tertiary hospitals, including facilities like SNU Hospital, and for not taking sufficient steps to enhance working conditions for public hospital employees. The union has stated that it will proceed with the strike unless the hospital agree s to strengthen the public health care infrastructure and hire additional staff to ensure the safety of both workers and patients. The government has previously announced a plan to increase the number of medical school seats by 1,500 in 2025, aiming to boost the number of medical students by about 2,000 over the next five years to address the shortage of doctors. Since February, thousands of trainee doctors have staged mass resignations, further complicating the situation. The medical community has called for a complete reevaluation of the government's proposals, urging that discussions begin anew.