South Korea resolves medical impasse by lifting license revocation for striking doctors

South Korea announced on Monday that it would withdraw its earlier plan to revoke the licenses of striking doctors in a bid to end months of conflict in the medical sector.

It is unclear how many of the thousands of strikers will return to work following the government’s announcement. The decision has raised doubts about the fairness of the handling of strikes and the return of doctors. Health Minister Cho KyooHong said the government would not revoke the licenses of striking doctors regardless of whether they return to work.

The decision is intended to address the shortage of doctors to treat critical patients and restore the training system for professional doctors. Over 13,000 young doctors, including junior doctors, resigned in February in response to the government’s plan to increase admissions to medical schools, which had a significant impact on the operation of university hospitals. A Seoul court backed the government’s plan in May. The government had initially decided not to revoke the licenses of returning doctors, but had not extended this to those still on strike.

Officials point out that up to 10,000 doctors need to be hired by 2035 to address the aging population and shortages of doctors in rural areas and key specialties. While doctors argue that schools are unprepared for this influx and fear a deterioration in medical care, critics claim that doctors are more concerned about potential loss of income. The striking doctors, although only a fraction of the total number in South Korea, have severely affected major hospitals and led to the cancellation of many surgeries and medical treatments, seriously affecting the country’s medical care.

(Disclaimer: With contributions from agencies.)