Police launch investigations when doctors in the district go on strike

SEOUL, June 10 (Yonhap) — Police will launch an investigation into a threatened strike by neighborhood doctors if a complaint is filed, a senior police official said Monday, a day after the country’s largest doctors’ lobby called for a one-day strike later this month.

Members of the Korea Medical Association (KMA) voted on Sunday to walk out of office on June 18 in protest against the government’s health care reform plans, which include a significant increase in the admission quota for the country’s medical schools.

The threatened strike is likely to place an even greater strain on the country’s health care system, as operations in major hospitals have already been paralyzed for months by a lengthy strike by junior doctors in protest against the increase in student places at medical schools.

“Once mass closures occur, we expect health authorities to order work to resume and file complaints,” the senior police official told reporters on condition of anonymity. “If complaints are filed, we will conduct an investigation in accordance with law and procedure.”

After the KMA voted to strike, the government announced a crackdown on the planned walkout, ordering community doctors to continue providing medical treatment and report to authorities if they close their practices.