South Korea To Take Legal Action Against Doctors For Walkout

Around 9,000 resident and intern doctors, or about 70% of the country's total, have walked off the job...

On Monday South Korea's health minister said, authorities will start inspecting hospitals in order to take legal action against trainee doctors who have ignored an ultimatum to end a walkout over government plans to increase medical school admissions.

Since Feb 20, around 9,000 resident and intern doctors, or about 70% of the country's total, have walked off the job leading to the cancellation of some surgeries and treatments and straining emergency departments.

The government had warned the protesting trainee physicians they could face administrative and legal penalties, including the suspension of their medical licenses and fines or a jail term if they did not return to work the end of last month.

From today, we plan to conduct on-site inspections to confirm trainee doctors who have not returned, and take action according to the law and principle without exception," Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong told a televised briefing.

For protesting doctors who returned to the field, Choo said the government would consider extenuating circumstances when contemplating any action against them.

Later, Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo told a briefing that the government would take steps to suspend the medical licences of some 7,000 trainee doctors who had left their jobs.

Up to now, there has been little sign of either side backing down. Thousands of South Korean doctors held a mass rally on Sunday organised by the Korean Medical Association (KMA), which represents private practitioners, defying official calls for the trainee physicians to return to work.

The plan to boost medical school admissions is popular with the public, with about 76% of respondents in favor, regardless of political affiliation, a recent Gallup Korea poll found.

Some critics, however, accuse President Yoon Suk Yeol's government of not consulting enough and of picking a fight over the issue ahead of parliamentary elections in April.