2024 South Korean medical crisis

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2024 South Korean medeical crisis
DateFebruary 20, 2024 (2024-02-20) - present
(6 months and 2 days)
Location South Korea
Cause
  • Government's plan to increase of medical students enrolment
  • Imbalance of medical services

The 2024 South Korean medical crisis is an medical crisis in 2024, in South Korea, due to the announcement of new government policies on significantly increasing the medical student quotas. Thousands of residents and interns have since resigned, which has resulted in medical school professors working to cover for residents. This has forced non-urgent, less complicated patients to no longer be treated at tertiary care facilities, leading to concerns about large university hospitals running into financial trouble. There have been anxiety about patients being unable to receive timely treatment,[1] but no direct patient deaths were attributed to the labor action. There were 2 deaths in the doctors working overtime to cover residents, leading to concerns about how long this can continue before more doctors start dying out.[2]

Background and causes

Demographic change of South Korea

South korea's population pyramid (1960-2020)

The demographics of South Korea indicate there will be a large increase in senior citizens who were born in the two baby boom generations of South Korea (1955–1974), causing a significant increase in demand for medical care in the country in the coming decades. However, the number of doctors per capita in South Korea has been one of the lowest countries in the world, recording 2.6 per 1,000 people in 2021, below that of the United States (2.7) and the OECD average (3.7).[3] The fact that doctors in South Korea are aging as well makes the doctor shortage problem more serious.

The shortage of doctors is more acute in rural areas. In 2023, 69% of local medical centers of Korea could not fill their doctors quota,[4] with Chungnam Seosan medical center being unable to hire enough radiologists despite offering an annual salary of 420 million won (about $300,000)[5] with 4.5 working days per week. Gangwon Sokcho medical center also increased annual salary of emergency medicine specialists to 420 million won ($300,000) because they were unable to fill in the position with lower salary.[6]

According to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, the basic medical system is collapsing with many disciplines such as pediatrics, obstetrics, and gynecology, lacking manpower and thus many people are not able to receive timely treatment. He also cited the imbalanced distribution of medical services between urban and rural as one of the reasons to expand the enrolment of medical students.[7] According to data from the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), South Korea has one of the lowest doctor-per-patient ratios among its members, at 2.6 per 1,000 people, similar to Canada (2.8), USA (2.7), and Japan (2.6), and far below the average of 3.7 per 1,000.[3] European countries such as Portugal and Greece, in contrast, has the highest ratios at 6.3 and 5.6 per 1,000, respectively.[3]

Number of medical school graduates per 100,000 population, OECD Health Statistics 2023[8]
Country Number
 Denmark
22.0
 Italy
18.2
 Australia
15.4
OECD average
14.2
 United Kingdom
13.1
 Germany
12.4
 United States
8.5
 South Korea
7.3
 Israel
6.8

Government of healthcare system

South Korean healthcare system has significant distortions. A mandatory designation system integrates all doctors and private medical institutions into public health insurance, enforcing predetermined fees and rigorous audits. Low fees necessitate subsidization from non-insurance treatments or high-volume, low-margin practices, without compensating doctors for their extensive training and experience. Medical malpractice criminalization rates in the country are extremely high, leading to an exodus of young doctors from high-risk essential medical fields. The government provides minimal support for medical education and residency training, making medical schools rely on hospital profits. Residents often work up to 100 hours a week, and university hospitals depend on their cheap labor due to strict fee controls.[9]

Every year, the government engages in negotiations with medical professional organizations to determine the extent of the increase in medical treatment fees. Healthcare practitioners argue that South Korea's medical fees are insufficient when compared to other OECD countries, and the fees reimbursed by the government do not cover the cost of services. This debate concerning medical fees and reimbursement has persisted for several years. Virtually, medical fees have been controlled strictly by the government and remain at a fraction of the prices in the United States, and cheaper than those in China and Singapore.[10][11]

South Korea has an insurance system with low reimbursement rates which encourages high turnover by hospitals and does little to dissuade patients from seeking second opinions.[12][13] Health finance system in South Korea is characterized as "low premiums, low medical consultation fees, low pay".[14] The medical policy not to give adequate payment and working condition to medical workers caused shortage of medical workers in some specialties, such as pediatrics, because these specialties involve underpaid treatments which is due to involvement with National Health Insurance. National Health Insurance, setting low medical fees and taking advantage of medical workers, made medical workers in these specialties overworked but underpaid.[15][16][17]

When the government broadens the range of health insurance benefits, healthcare facilities tend to offer uninsured services, due to low insurance benefit payment. The cost of healthcare services covered by insurance only amounts to 87% of the original cost. Consequently, healthcare institutions get financial losses when providing services covered by insurance.[18] Among OECD countries, South Korea has a notably low proportion of active nurses. Despite a steady increase in the overall number of nurses, the expected growth in the number of active nurses has not been realized due to persistent turnover issues.[19] The failure have sparked opposition from medical workers, leading to strikes and public debate. South Korea is recognized as a nation that offers excellent medical services despite the relatively low burden of public health insurance premiums. Nonetheless, patients bear the responsibility of paying for medical services that are not covered by health insurance, which places a financial strain on them. Healthcare providers encounter challenges due to the significantly low prices set by the health insurance system for the medical services they offer. Healthcare providers face challenges in terms of satisfaction and burnout as they struggle to obtain sufficient treatment time due to inadequate reimbursement.[20][21][22]

The policymaking process in South Korea neglected proper channels for professional opinions. This omission ultimately resulted in governance failure, sparking unnecessary severe conflicts among key actors such as doctors, pharmacists, civil society organizations, and the news media.[23] One research examined how the media granted more legitimacy to the government than to the doctors. According to the study, the government's image is presented as "an actor that partially contributed to the cause of the conflict but is keen to exert its best efforts to resolve the problem in the best interest of the public and everyone involved in the conflict." The study showed the image of doctors is shaped by three major news frames: the "morality frame," the "internal dissent frame," and the "inconciliatory attitude frame." These frames depict doctors as "a group primarily motivated by economic interests, violating the ethical code of their profession, experiencing internal divisions, and refusing to engage in dialogue." According to the research, the arguments of medical providers pointing out the structural problems of our medical community, which has been made by the government, have considerable validity, the news media's bias is expressed by the use of strong labels such as "criminals" and "murderers," which are applied to medical providers.[24]

Admission quota of medical schools of South Korea

Since 2006, the admission quota of medical schools has been 3,058 per academic year.[25] The number was decreased from 3,500 in 2000 which is the year where another strike of South Korea doctors happened. The strike was due to the proposed plan of government to strictly separate the job of physicians and pharmacists, which could cause a significant damage to the income of doctors. Residents and interns refused to work,[26] and emergency rooms of local hospitals were also closed.

After the admission quota was reduced to 3,058, governments tried to increase the enrolment quota but failed due to repetitive strong opposition from doctors. In 2020, Korean government announced that they are planning to increase the quota from 3 thousands by 400, which again led to a doctor strike (2020 South Korean medical strike). As done in 2024, residents and interns declared their strikes and stopped working from the training hospitals. This plan was revoked because it was during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Repulsion from residents

The announcement of increasing medical school from the government immediately caused repulsions from the residents and interns because they have claimed that the welfare of trainee doctors must be improved first. According to the Korea Intern Resident Association, intern and resident doctors in South Korea work 36-hour shifts, in comparison to the United States where they work less than 24 hours. About half of these doctors would work no more than 60 hours per week on average in United States, while in South Korea it is common to exceed more than 100 hours per week.[27] The average salary of residents of South Korea is about 70 million won (about $50,000) [28] which is above the average salary of employees of South Korea but significantly below the average salary of employed specialists which is $200,000.[29]

The fact that the number of increased quota was almost 60% of the original quota made the repulsion more significant. The fact that the increased number of admission will significantly lower the average salary of specialists is considered as another main reason why the training doctors immediately started their resignation in February. The increased quota was decreased from 2,000 to 1,500 in April by the government, but this did not result in withering the strength because doctors argued that the increased quota must be fully rolled back.[30]

Skewed distribution of doctors in South Korea

Doctors and the government posited that it is not the number of medical school admissions but the government policy and laws about healthcare of South Korea that made the doctors move to the profitable field rather than the field for vitality of patients. In South Korea, physician assistants (PA) are illegal to do basic activity such as suture, and also tattoo artists are illegal according to law because their activities are invasive and therefore will hurt the health of citizens.[31] Skin care treatments such as laser treatment and neurotoxin are only legally allowed to doctors, making general practitioners (medical students who passed Korean Medical Licensing Examination) work in the beauty market without being a training doctor.

On the other side, doctors believe that the shortage of manpower in some locations is not due to insufficient numbers, but rather to inadequate medical resources and treatment in those locations that made it difficult to retain staff.[7] The Korea Times writes that even with the increased enrollment, new doctors may choose to go into more popular specialties or urban areas such as Seoul, where there are more patients along with higher pay.[7] Meanwhile, rural areas in South Korea lack medical infrastructure, with patients often travelling long distances to large medical centers in Seoul. Therefore, the development of rural medical care has never improved, and doctors are even less willing to start their careers there.[32]

Events by time

Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul
  • February 6

Yoon Suk Yeol's government announced they will increase medical school enrollment by 2,000 every year from 2025, setting the quota to 5,058.[25] Doctors have collectively opposed Yoon's proposal, stating there are already sufficient doctors in major hospitals.[33] However, the government moved forward with the plan.[34]

  • February 20

Many doctors resigned collectively.[35] Many undergraduate students in medical schools also went on strike and suspended their studies.[34]

  • February 22

The government raised the crisis level of the country's medical system to "serious".[36]

  • February 23

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that all clinics and treatment centers were allowed to provide telemedicine services,[37] which was originally illegal in South Korea. In the past, the controversy about allowing telemedicine was a root cause of doctor's strike in 2014,[38] and since then the services were considered illegal. It had been allowed to limited cases during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • February 26

Ministry of Health and Welfare stated that among the 100 hospitals, 10,034 interns and resident doctors submitted resignation letters with 9,006 of them resigned.[39] In response, the Ministry suspended the medical licenses of two leaders of the Korea Medical Association and ordered the return of 6,228 intern doctors.[40] The government indicated that if they resumed their work by February 29, they would not be punished.[41] On March 1, there were 565 doctors who had yet to return to their duties.[42] The government stated that they would take action against those who refused to return to work by March 1 and threatened administrative sanctions and other possible judicial measures.[43]

  • February 27

The Ministry announced that nurses would be able to assume some of the duties of doctors.[44] On March 1, the Ministry issued a return-to-work order to 13 intern and resident doctors who formed the committee of the Korea Intern Resident Association.[45]

  • March 3

The Korea Medical Association held a general meeting at Yeouido island located on the Han River in Seoul, condemning the government's pressure on the doctors and mobilizing doctors to continue the strike to stand against the government.[46]

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo chaired a response meeting, acknowledging that a large portion of the doctors had yet to return to work. Han stated that the government would urgently prepare a budget to employ replacement doctors and reward those who stayed in the hospitals. Various committees under the government would also work to implement health care reforms.[47]

In order to ensure that regional emergency centers were able to treat severe cases, the Ministry began to classify patients into critical and non-critical groups.[48]

  • March 4

The Ministry announced that it would conduct a second inspection at 50 hospitals for the return of intern and resident doctors. If these doctors returned to their posts by then, they would not pursue further discipline. However, if they still haven't returned to work, they would face punishments on the following day. Those who did not comply with the government's order to return to work would have their medical licenses suspended for at least three months, delaying their qualification as medical doctors by more than a year. Further administrative sanctions would also be recorded in their employment records.[49][50]

  • March 7

Online users of a doctor community MediStaff collaboratively wrote "참의사 목록" (a list of true doctors) that lists residents who were still working in hospitals.[51] Since only those who certified their doctor licenses during membership registration could read the articles in MediStaff, this list was exposed to the public only after an anonymous resident revealed this incident on a public online community. The name ("참의사 목록", a list of true doctors) sarcastically expresses that the doctors in the list are in the hospitals because they more value the wellness of patients. The list contained the names and associations of working residents in 70 hospitals. Seoul police later searched and seizured 5 doctors who were suspected to lead the crime (April 19), and the head of the Korea Medical Association (KMA), Lim Hyun-taek, asserted that this is tyranny against doctors.[52]

  • March 8

At 11:00 am local time, more than 11,994 intern and resident doctors remained absent, representing 92% of the trainee doctors.[53] On March 11, the Ministry had issued a notice of suspension of medical licenses to 5,566 intern and resident doctors.[48] The Ministry indicated that those who returned to work before the completion of notification process would be dealt with leniently.[54]

  • March 9

Medical schools reported that they had received 5,445 applications.[55]

  • March 11

On March 11, the government announced that military doctors and doctors from public health clinics would be deployed to hospitals affected by the strike.[56]

  • March 16

Senior doctors and professors from 20 hospitals had indicated that they would submit their resignation letters from March 25 to back the strike.[57] But instead, they began cutting back on hours spent in practice on March 25.[58]

  • April 4

President Yoon gave a speech to the nation for almost an hour. He reaffirmed his will to expand the number of medical school admissions and appealed to the public for support.[59]

"As the president, I regret not being able to promptly address the public inconvenience... All rational people will agree that the country faces a shortage of medical doctors."

— Yoon Suk Yeol, President of South Korea
  • May 1

The South Korean government reduced the increasing quota of medical school admissions from 2,000 to 1,500 for one upcoming academic year.[60][61] The number was determined after receiving updated numbers from universities who wanted to shrink the quota in order to minimize the conflict between the medical school professors and other faculty members. However, the Korea Medical Association (KMA), residents and interns kept their stance.

  • May 16

The high court of South Korea judged that increasing the quota of medical schools is necessary for the greater good.[62]

  • May 18

The South Korean government issued a return-to-work order for private practitioners on Tuesday as more doctors including medical professors join the months-long strike to protest increasing medical school admissions.[63]

  • July 18

As of July 18, 2024, only 8.4% of the 12,000 resident doctors who had left their jobs in protest had returned to work. Their terminations were finalised on July 15 on instructions from the government, allowing them to be employed elsewhere. However, Park Dan, the head of the Korean Intern Resident Association, accused hospital directors 'interfering' with these resident doctors' efforts to be reemployed.[64]

  • July 22

To fill in the empty positions, recruitment of 7,645 residents for the second half of the year began at teaching hospitals across the country.[65]

  • August 16

At a National Assembly parliamentary hearing, Health and Welfare Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said the ministry plans to announce additional reform measures related to increasing medical school admissions early next month.[66]

Resolutions and negotiations

Adjusting the increased quota

The government offered to adjust their healthcare reform plans to let medical schools determine their own admissions for the 2025 intake, lowering the designated quotas by up to 50% for 2025 while maintaining the original increased quota from 2026 onwards on April 19, 2024.[67][68] However, the Korea Medical Association (KMA) rejected the proposal on April 24 and claimed that the increased quota must be completely rolled back.[30]

Hiring doctors from foreign countries

As the medical crisis remained unabated, the government in May 2024 sought to allow vetted foreign doctors to work in South Korea. In response, the head of KMA, Lim Hyun-taek, shared a screenshot of a news report of newly graduated Somali doctors in his Facebook with the text "Coming Soon.", a message connotating that doctors from foreign countries are inferior to South Korea doctors. Although it was subsequently removed, it was deemed as "racist" and "exploiting Islamophobia and stereotyping against developing countries".[69][70]

The government's proposed plan was an extension of preparing the new medical environment for upcoming plural society of South Korea, which is already becoming reality since the number of people from foreign countries in South Korea reached 2.5 millions in 2024[71] and the ratio of international marriage of South Korea reached 10% in 2024 as well.[72] A collaboration between South Korea and the Middle East/African countries from 2010s reported that over 130 doctors from Middle East are already working as specialists in South Korea in 2024 as a part of the official government program for international healthcare collaboration of South Korea. According to the news, these foreign doctors are overall satisfied with their hospital environment.[73]

Reactions

Government

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol lambasted the strike and denied that the increase in medical students would lead to a decline in quality of medical education. He stated that the strike should not threaten the lives and health of the population, and that the proposed increase of 2,000 students is the minimum required.[74][75] His government stated that if the doctors on strike did not return to work, their medical licenses would be suspended.[34]

To address the shortage of medical workforce, the government deployed military doctors and public health doctors to major hospitals. Nurses were also given legal protection to perform certain medical procedures typically handled by doctors, such as administering CPR and medication to emergency patients.[76]

A Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters was established, headed by the Prime Minister, to coordinate the government's response to the crisis. Regional emergency situation rooms were also set up to manage the transportation of severely ill patients in major regions.[77]

The Education Ministry introduced guidelines to prevent boycotting medical students from failing their semesters due to insufficient class attendance.[78] Measures included:

  • Allowing medical schools to determine academic failure on a yearly basis instead of a semester basis.
  • Permitting schools to extend or shorten the duration of semesters or operate three semesters per year instead of two.
  • Offering classes at night, online, or on weekends to help students meet their academic requirements.

Professors of Medicine and The Korea Medicine Association

Medical professionals argue that the plan would impair the quality of medical education. However, commentators pointed out student-to-faculty ratio in Korea is one-third of Germany's and half of the United States, with each Korean medical professor handling 1.6 medical students on average.[53]

Medical professionals and The Korea Medical Association pointed out that the planned enrollment increase will not be able to fix the immediate manpower issue as training doctors typically takes ten years.[79] If a fresh medical student wants to qualify as a specialist, they must undergo a six-year study, a one-year internship and three to four years of residency training after graduation.[80] This implies that not only the increased quota of medical schools but more immediate actions such as partially allowing doctors from overseas to work in South Korea is necessary.

Medical professionals also point to high rates of medical malpractice litigation. Approximately 750 South Korean doctors are criminally charged for medical malpractice every year. That is 14.7 times higher than Japan, 580.6 times higher than the United Kingdom, and 26.6 times higher than Germany.[81] A 2019 study found that one-third of doctors had experienced a medical malpractice in the past 3 years. These litigations often occur in more critical medical specialties such as, emergency medicine, cardiothoracic surgery, gynecology, and pediatrics. A criminal charge due to medical malpractice does not lead to revocation of their doctor license according to the law of South Korea, but this can still be a significant threat to doctors in the specialties.

The Korea Medical Association believes that the root cause of the shortage in South Korea's medical services is not the lack of doctors, but the uneven distribution of medical facilities between urban and rural areas, poor labor conditions, and high litigation risks. Therefore, the union believes that increasing the number of doctors will not resolve the shortage or disparities.[32]

The Korea Medical Association stated that the right to strike and resign by doctors are protected by the constitution.[82] The Korea Intern Resident Association wanted the government to withdraw the plan to increase the enrollment of medical students and cancel the return-to-work order.[39]

Students' boycott

Medical students began to boycott attending their classes, as declared by the Korean Medical Student Association, in support of the strike since February 20. As a result, Gachon University postponed the start of the semester from mid-February to March 4 initially, then once more till March 25, while Gyeongsang National University delayed the start to March 15. By March 6, 5,401 students (28.7%) had applied for leave. However, if including improperly filed applications, the number of applications would potentially be over 14,000.[83] Due to ongoing boycotts by medical students over increased admissions, only 2.7 percent of students attended classes, with just 495 out of 19,345 enrolled students returning as of July 22. Attendance rates varied, with first-year pre-med students at 1.7 percent and medical school seniors at 3.5 percent. Government concessions have not significantly increased attendance.[84]

Media

The government labeled the collective criticisms and social advocacy of medical students, residents, and doctors as "doctors' illegal collective actions," leading to a declaration of a national healthcare crisis at the highest risk level. The "Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for Doctors' Collective Actions," led by the Prime Minister, was established. In line with changes in digital media, the Emergency Response Headquarters conducted daily public briefings, marking an unprecedentedly swift governmental response. A large-scale campaign was launched to bolster government policy, featuring the President's commitment displayed on public buses and subways, and promotional videos in movie theaters. Screens inside apartment elevators also broadcast the government's message against "emergency room ping-pong" and "pediatric clinic open run," representing an unprecedented promotional campaign. Doctors and the medical community were portrayed as a self-serving cartel, a characterization cemented by the President in a national address. This portrayal marked doctors as adversaries rather than partners in healthcare reform, significantly undermining the trust that forms the foundation of the doctor-patient relationship.[85][86]

Patients

Patient groups in South Korea spoke their concerns about the continuing conflicts between the government and the doctors.[87] In July 4th, 92 patient groups including Union of Korea Breast Cancer Patient, Korea Alliance of Patients Organization and Korean Organization for Rare Diseases gathered and claimed stopping the collective actions of doctors and promoting a law that will prevent the patients-damaging action from happening in the future.[88] An interviewee, Cha Jae-Hwan, said that both the government and doctor group are problematic because the government did not go through a proper social discussion and the doctor group is reacting without proper consideration of patients. The chief of Korea Alliance of Patients Organization, Ahn Ki-Jong, claimed that they will support legislation for preventing practicians in life-critical areas from performing group actions against patients in South Korea.

Opposition parties and the public

Lee Jae-myung

Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party also opposed the strike and supported the increase in enrollment of medical students.[89] Groups representing cancer and ALS patients have also called for the quick return of striking doctors.[90] The Korean Buddhist order, Jogye Order had also urged the return of striking doctors on February 22.[91] A Gallup Korea poll found that 76% of those polled supported the increase in enrollment, with only 16% opposing it.[92] A survey published on March 5 by the Yonhap News Agency found 84% of respondents supported adding more doctors, while 43% indicated that the doctors on strike should be sternly punished.[79]

Impact

Severance Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital, and many other hospitals were forced to cancel or postpone many surgeries.[93] Some hospitals also decided to shorten the time to operate on patients or give priority to critically ill patients.[94] There have been claims about bad outcomes to patients from the strike. One person on social media blamed the death of their grandmother as a result of the strike.[95] There was another claim that a woman died due to a lack of staffing and beds,[96][97] but it was later determined that this woman had end-stage cancer and already had advance directive to Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR).[98] There were real casualties among the doctors, however. An ophthalmology professor in his 40's died of brain hemorrhage on March 24, 2024[99] and an internal medicine professor in his 50's died of intestinal obstruction on April 20, 2024,[2] causing significant concerns about health risks to the medical school professors who were overworked trying to cover for all of the resident doctors who have resigned.

See also

References

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  25. ^ a b "Hánguó xué é fēngbō jiē yīliáo xìtǒng zhēngyì yīshēng cízhí kàngyì zǒnglǐ jǐnggào wù yǐ rénmìng yào xié" 韓國學額風波 揭醫療系統爭議 醫生辭職抗議 總理警告勿以人命要脅 [South Korea’s school quota scandal reveals controversy in the medical system. Doctors resign in protest. The Prime Minister warns not to threaten human lives.]. 明報新聞網 - 每日明報 daily news (in Chinese). February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  26. ^ Watts, Jonathan (2000). "Doctors' first strike in Republic of Korea likely to end". Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 78 (12): 1478. ISSN 0042-9686. PMC 2560667. PMID 11196505.
  27. ^ "Hánguó yīshī bàgōng tǔ xīnshēng:Guò láo dī xīn qiě wúrén wén wèn" 韓國醫師罷工吐心聲:過勞低薪且無人聞問 [South Korean doctors go on strike to express their feelings: overworked, low paid and ignored]. February 26, 2024. Archived from the original on March 9, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  28. ^ "'ju 80sigan' jeongong-ui jwieojjaneun byeong-won… "jeonmun-ui neulligo jeosuga gaeseon-eul"[icham-e tteud-eogochyeoya hal, daehanmingug gihyeongjeog uilyochegye]" '주 80시간' 전공의 쥐어짜는 병원… "전문의 늘리고 저수가 개선을"[이참에 뜯어고쳐야 할, 대한민국 기형적 의료체계] [A hospital that is squeezing in residents for ‘80 hours a week’… “Increase the number of specialists and improve the number of medical staff” [Korea’s deformed medical system that needs to be repaired now]]. Seoul Shinmun (in Korean). March 8, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  29. ^ Ewe, Koh (February 20, 2024). "Why 1,600 Doctors in South Korea Are on Strike". TIME.
  30. ^ a b "South Korean doctors reject government proposal to end strike". CNA. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  31. ^ "munsinsa habbeobhwa yogue ui bandae ibjang jaehwag-in" 문신사 합법화 요구에 醫 반대 입장 재확인 [The hospital reaffirms its opposition to the demand for legalization of tattoo parlors.]. 청년의사 (in Korean). October 10, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  32. ^ a b "Hánguó yīxué shēng míng'é jiāng zēng 65%, wèihé yǐnfā yīshēng bàgōng?" 韓國醫學生名額將增65%,為何引發醫生罷工? [South Korea's medical student quota will increase by 65%. Why did it trigger a doctor strike?].
  33. ^ "uidae jeung-won susja '2cheon myeong'…geungeowa nonlan-eun?" 의대 증원 숫자 '2천 명'…근거와 논란은? [Number of medical schools increased by ‘2,000’… What is the basis and controversy?]. Korean Broadcasting System. February 19, 2024.
  34. ^ a b c "'jibdansajig jeongong-ui' 831myeong eobmugaesimyeonglyeong…'myeonheo bagtal' gyeong-go" '집단사직 전공의' 831명 업무개시명령…'면허 박탈' 경고 [831 ‘residents who resigned collectively’ ordered to start work… ‘License revoked’ warning]. Korean Broadcasting System. February 20, 2024.
  35. ^ "South Korea doctors' strike could escalate as medical professors threaten to resign". CNA. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  36. ^ "Chāo 9000 míng yīshēng jítǐ cízhí! Hánguó yīliáo xìtǒng wéijī shēng zhì zuì gāojí-xīn húnán" 超9000名医生集体辞职!韩国医疗系统危机升至最高级-新湖南 [More than 9,000 doctors resigned en masse! The crisis in South Korea's medical system reaches the highest level - New Hunan]. 新湖南_湖南新闻第一端 (in Chinese). February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  37. ^ "Hánguó yīshēng bàgōng cháo chíxù wèishēng bù zhǔn suǒyǒu yīyuàn zhěnsuǒ yuǎnchéng zhěnliáo" 韓國醫生罷工潮持續 衛生部准所有醫院診所遠程診療 [Korean doctors' strike continues, Ministry of Health approves remote diagnosis and treatment in all hospitals and clinics]. 香港01 (in Chinese). February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  38. ^ Hyun-jeong, Lee (February 18, 2014). "Ministry, doctors strike telemedicine deal". The Korea Herald. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  39. ^ a b "Hánguó zhèngfǔ hé yīliáo jiè máodùn chíxù jīhuà, duō jiā yīyuàn jiàng shǒushù rìchéng xuējiǎn yībàn" 韓國政府和醫療界矛盾持續激化,多家醫院將手術日程削減一半 [Conflicts between the South Korean government and the medical community continue to intensify, with many hospitals cutting surgical schedules in half]. 央視網 (in Chinese). February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  40. ^ "Liǎng tiān jìn 9000 míng hánguó yīshēng cízhí zhèngfǔ zhǔnbèi tí kòng bàgōng yīshēng" 兩天近9000名韓國醫生辭職 政府準備提控罷工醫生 [Nearly 9,000 South Korean doctors resigned in two days, and the government is preparing to prosecute striking doctors]. 聯合早報 (in Chinese). February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  41. ^ "Nánhán cízhí yīshēng pò wàn zhèngfǔ zhǐ ruò zài zhōu sì qián fùgōng jiāng bù zhuījiù" 南韓辭職醫生破萬 政府指若在周四前復工將不追究 [The number of doctors who resigned in South Korea exceeds 10,000, and the government says that if they resume work before Thursday, they will not be held accountable]. Now 新聞 (in Chinese). February 26, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  42. ^ "Hánguó 100 jiā dàxíng yīyuàn zhōng yǐ yǒu 565 míng cízhí yīshēng fǎn gǎng_zhōngguó wǎng" 韩国100家大型医院中已有565名辞职医生返岗_中国网 [565 resigned doctors from 100 large hospitals in South Korea have returned to work_China Net]. 中国网新闻中心_传递中国价值. March 1, 2024. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  43. ^ "Hánguó jìn 300 yīshēng fùgōng zhèngfǔ míng qǐ chǔfèn wèi fǎn gǎng yīshēng" 韩国近300医生复工 政府明起处分未返岗医生 [Nearly 300 doctors in South Korea have returned to work. The government will punish doctors who fail to return to work tomorrow.]. 联合早报 (in Chinese). February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  44. ^ "Hánguó bǎojiàn fúzhǐ bù xuānbù jírì qǐ tiáozhěng hùshì yèwù fànwéi chéngdān bùfèn yīshēng yèwù" 韩国保健福祉部宣布即日起调整护士业务范围 承担部分医生业务 [South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that it will adjust the business scope of nurses and assume some of the doctor's business from now on]. 川观新闻 (in Chinese). August 11, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  45. ^ "Hán zhèngfǔ yī jiè fǎn gǎng lìng shíxiàn yǐguò jíjiāng cǎiqǔ xíngzhèng sīfǎ chǔfèn" 韩政府医界返岗令时限已过 即将采取行政司法处分 [The time limit for the Korean government’s order for the medical community to return to work has expired and administrative and judicial sanctions will be taken soon]. 韩联社(韩国联合通讯社) (in Chinese). March 3, 2024. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  46. ^ "Hánguó yī xié qiǎnzé zhèngfǔ duì yīshēng shī yā chēng jiāng jìxù kàngzhēng" 韩国医协谴责政府对医生施压称将继续抗争 [The Korean Medical Association condemns the government’s pressure on doctors and says it will continue to fight]. 韩联社(韩国联合通讯社) (in Chinese). March 3, 2024. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  47. ^ "Hán zǒnglǐ: Jiāng cǎiqǔ cuòshī yìngduì fēifǎ lí gǎng yīshēng" 韩总理:将采取措施应对非法离岗医生 [Prime Minister of South Korea: Measures will be taken to deal with doctors who leave their jobs illegally]. 韩联社(韩国联合通讯社) (in Chinese). March 3, 2024. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  48. ^ a b "Shǒu'ěr dàxué yīxué yuàn jiàoshòu huò jítǐ cízhí hánguó bǎojiàn fúzhǐ bù chēng jiāng yǔ yīshēng duìhuà" 首尔大学医学院教授或集体辞职 韩国保健福祉部称将与医生对话 [Professors at Seoul National University School of Medicine may resign en masse. South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare says it will have dialogue with doctors]. 新闻频道_央视网(cctv.com) (in Chinese). March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  49. ^ "Hánguó zhèngfǔ: Jiāng xiànchǎng jiǎnchá yīshēng chūqín qíngkuàng wèi fù gǎng yīshēng zhízhào jiāng bèi diàoxiāo zhìshǎo 3 gè yuè" 韩国政府:将现场检查医生出勤情况 未复岗医生执照将被吊销至少3个月 [South Korean Government: Doctors’ attendance status will be checked on-site. Doctors who fail to return to work will have their licenses revoked for at least 3 months.]. 新闻频道_央视网(cctv.com) (in Chinese). March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  50. ^ "Hánguó zhèngfǔ jì tiěwàn xíngdòng, qīqiān míng shíxí yīshēng zāo diàoxiāo zhízhào" 韓國政府祭鐵腕行動,七千名實習醫生遭吊銷執照 [The South Korean government's iron-fisted operation resulted in the suspension of the licenses of 7,000 intern doctors.]. Yahoo News (in Chinese). March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  51. ^ "'cham-uisa liseuteu'… uisa keomyunitiseo hyeonjang nam-eun jeongong-ui saegchul nonlan" ‘참의사 리스트’… 의사 커뮤니티서 현장 남은 전공의 색출 논란 [‘List of true doctors’… Controversy in the medical community over identifying remaining specialists in the field]. ChosunBiz (in Korean). March 7, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  52. ^ "'cham-uisa liseuteu' gong-gae uisa absususaeg…imhyeontaeg 'uisa pog-ab'" '참의사 리스트' 공개 의사 압수수색…임현택 '의사 폭압' [Search and seizure of 'Cham doctors list' made public... Lim Hyun-taek ‘Doctor tyranny’]. 매일신문 (in Korean). April 19, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
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  54. ^ "Hán zhèngfǔ xiàng jìn 5000 míng jù bù fǎn gǎng yīshī fāsòng diàoxiāo zhízhào tōngzhī" 韩政府向近5000名拒不返岗医师发送吊销执照通知 [South Korean government sends license revocation notices to nearly 5,000 doctors who refuse to return to work]. 韩联社(韩国联合通讯社) (in Chinese). March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  55. ^ "Hánguó yīshī bàgōng yánshāo jìn 3 chéng yīxué shēng yǒuxiào shēnqǐng xiūxué" 韓國醫師罷工延燒 近3成醫學生有效申請休學 [South Korea's doctors' strike continues, nearly 30% of medical students have effectively applied for suspension of study]. 中央社 CNA (in Chinese). March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
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  60. ^ "2025hagnyeondo uidae jeung-won choedae 1500myeongdae choban…2026nyeon-eun '2cheon myeong' jeung-won" 2025학년도 의대 증원 최대 1500명대 초반…2026년은 ‘2천 명’ 증원 [Medical school enrollment for the 2025 school year is expected to increase to around 1,500 students… In 2026, the number of employees will be increased by ‘2,000’.]. KBS News (in Korean). Retrieved July 23, 2024.
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  62. ^ "uidae jeung-won: seoulgobeob, uidaejeung-won jibhaengjeongji 'gagha·gigag'... uilyo galdeung eotteohge doena?" 의대 증원: 서울고법, 의대증원 집행정지 '각하·기각'... 의료 갈등 어떻게 되나? [Medical school expansion: Seoul High Court 'dismisses/dismisses' suspension of medical school expansion... What happens to the medical conflict?]. BBC News 코리아 (in Korean). May 16, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
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  65. ^ "oneulbuteo habangi jeongong-ui mojib sijag…inteon·lejideonteu chong 7,645myeong chaeyong" 오늘부터 하반기 전공의 모집 시작…인턴·레지던트 총 7,645명 채용 [Recruitment of majors for the second half of the year begins today... Recruitment of a total of 7,645 interns and residents]. KBS News (in Korean). Retrieved July 26, 2024.
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  71. ^ "gugnae oegug-in 251manmyeong···'damunhwasahoe' jin-ib nun-ap" 국내 외국인 251만명···‘다문화사회’ 진입 눈앞 [2.51 million foreigners in Korea... we are on the verge of entering a ‘multicultural society’]. 한국문화홍보서비스 (in Korean). Retrieved July 21, 2024.
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  73. ^ "jeongong-ui gongbaeg me-uneun 'jungdong-uisa' 130yeomyeong, susul-jinlyo bojo… uisasotong deung-en hangyedo" 전공의 공백 메우는 '중동의사' 130여명, 수술-진료 보조… 의사소통 등엔 한계도 [About 130 ‘Middle Eastern doctors’ fill the gap in specialties, assisting in surgery and medical treatment… There are limits to communication, etc.]. The Dong-A Ilbo (in Korean). May 30, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  74. ^ "'uidaejeung-won = jil jeoha' jujang-e daehan daetonglyeong-ui banbag [hyeonjang-yeongsang]" '의대증원 = 질 저하' 주장에 대한 대통령의 반박 [현장영상] [President's rebuttal to the argument that 'increasing medical schools = lowering quality' [On-site video]]. Korean Broadcasting System. February 20, 2024.
  75. ^ "Hánguó yú qiān yīshēng bàgōng áizhèng huànzhě qiú yī wú mén" 韓國逾千醫生罷工 癌症患者求醫無門 [Thousands of doctors in South Korea go on strike, leaving cancer patients with no way to seek medical treatment]. 大公文匯網 (in Chinese). January 29, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
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  80. ^ "jeongong-ui 'ju 80sigan' jangsigan geunmu" 전공의 '주 80시간' 장시간 근무 [Residents work long hours, ‘80 hours a week’]. Korean Broadcasting System. February 21, 2024.
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  82. ^ "uihyeob bidaewi "jeongong-ui sajig-eun gibongwon haengsa…wiheonjeog haengtae jungdanhala"" 의협 비대위 "전공의 사직은 기본권 행사…위헌적 행태 중단하라" [Medical Association Non-Captain "Resignation by a major is an exercise of basic right... Stop this unconstitutional behavior."]. Korean Broadcasting System. February 20, 2024.
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  86. ^ ""90eog ssod-a bueossda" gugmin yeonghwagwan-eseo nandeeobs-i 'uidaejeung-won'…mwonga bwassdeoni" "90억 쏟아 부었다" 국민 영화관에서 난데없이 ‘의대증원’…뭔가 봤더니 [“We poured 9 billion won” The national movie theater suddenly ‘increased the number of medical schools’… I saw something]. 헤럴드경제 (in Korean). March 24, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
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  88. ^ "uilyopa-eob jang-gihwa-e gyeolgug geolilo naseon hwanjadeul...'50nyeon gat-eun 5gaewol-ieossda'" 의료파업 장기화에 결국 거리로 나선 환자들...'50년 같은 5개월이었다' [Patients ended up taking to the streets due to the prolonged medical strike... 'It was 5 months that felt like 50 years']. BBC News 코리아 (in Korean). July 4, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  89. ^ "ijaemyeong "uidae suncha jeung-won-i mattang…uisa pa-eob jeuggag jungdanhaeya"" 이재명 "의대 순차 증원이 마땅…의사 파업 즉각 중단해야" [Lee Jae-myeong "Medical schools should be sequentially increased... The doctors' strike must be stopped immediately."]. Korean Broadcasting System. February 21, 2024.
  90. ^ "jungjeungjilhwanja·simindanche "byeong-won-eulo boggwihaedalla"" 중증질환자·시민단체 "병원으로 복귀해달라" [Severely ill patients and civic groups ask to return to the hospital]. Korean Broadcasting System. February 21, 2024.
  91. ^ "jogyejong, jeongong-ui boggwi hoso…"saengmyeong-eun mueosboda jongwi"" 조계종, 전공의 복귀 호소…"생명은 무엇보다 존귀" [Jogye Order appeals for the return of majors… “Life is more precious than anything else”]. Korean Broadcasting System. February 22, 2024.
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  93. ^ "jeongong-ui eobsneun big5 byeong-won 'olseutob'?…jungjeung·eung-geub jinlyo choeuseon" 전공의 없는 빅5 병원 '올스톱'?…중증·응급 진료 최우선 [Big 5 hospitals without medical residents ‘all stop’?… Severe/emergency care is the top priority]. Korean Broadcasting System. February 22, 2024.
  94. ^ "jeongong-ui jibdan ital uilyo pahaeng bongyeoghwa…jeongug byeong-won bisang un-yeong dol-ib(jonghab)" 전공의 집단 이탈 의료 파행 본격화…전국 병원 비상 운영 돌입(종합) [Medical crippling is in full swing due to group departure of medical residents... Nationwide hospitals begin emergency operation (comprehensive)]. Naver News (in Korean). February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
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  98. ^ "bogjibu "eung-geubsil ppaengppaeng-iwa daejeon 80dae hwanja samang gwangye eobs-eo"" 복지부 "응급실 뺑뺑이와 대전 80대 환자 사망 관계 없어" [Ministry of Health and Welfare: “There is no connection between the emergency room hit and run and the death of a patient in his 80s in Daejeon.”]. 여성경제신문 (in Korean). February 27, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  99. ^ "byeong-won jikideon busandaebyeong-won angwa gyosu samang…uilyogye aedo" 병원 지키던 부산대병원 안과 교수 사망…의료계 애도 [Pusan National University Hospital ophthalmology professor who was guarding the hospital dies... medical community mourning]. 청년의사 (in Korean). March 24, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.