South Korea Grows Emergency Fund as President Takes Tougher Stance on Striking Doctors

The South Korean government is adding to its emergency fund that would address healthcare demands as President Yoon Suk Yeol takes a tougher stance on striking doctors.

On Thursday, officials announced plans to implement emergency measures swiftly in response to the current situation. It follows the Cabinet's approval on Wednesday to allocate $96 million from state-reserved funds. The money would be used to hire additional medical staff and mitigate the impact of medical service disruptions of the ongoing strike.

South Korea's Doctor Protests

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol warned protesting doctors that their licenses will be suspended if they do not go back to work as the government is working on an emergency fund to address the ongoing crisis.
(Photo : Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

The strategy of the local government includes the recruitment of new personnel to fill in the gap that was left by the mass resignation of junior doctors. In an attempt to ensure the public's access to healthcare services remains uninterrupted, the money would also support the operational costs of public medical institutions.

This would be made through local governments' disaster management funds. The decision reflects the South Korean government's commitment to maintaining the stability of the country's healthcare system amid the ongoing crisis, as per BNN Breaking.

On top of addressing the immediate staffing concerns caused by the striking doctors, the South Korean government has also outlined further plans to bolster the medical sector. These plans include higher fees for emergency and challenging surgeries as well as accelerating the introduction of legislation that seeks to enhance legal protections for doctors against medical malpractice lawsuits.

These types of measures were designed not only to attract more medical professionals into the field but also to provide them with greater security and incentive to serve. This is particularly true for those who would work in high-risk areas.

The collective action by trainee doctors in South Korea was sparked by opposition to the government's plans to increase medical school admissions. The ongoing crisis has highlighted the significant tensions within the nation's healthcare system.

On Monday, officials said that they were working to suspend the licenses of the thousands of doctors who walked off the job nearly two weeks ago. The development threatens to escalate a dispute that has shaken the Asian country's healthcare system, according to the New York Times.

Suspension of Licenses

This comes after thousands of physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals took to the streets on Sunday. During their protests, they held banners that read, "Doctors are not criminals!"

Young doctors have been in a high-stakes dispute with the government for more than a month over the future of healthcare in South Korea. Roughly 10,000 interns and residents, which is nearly a tenth of all doctors in the country, joined the protest.

The South Korean president on Wednesday said that they would not tolerate the actions of the junior doctors, calling them an "illegal collective action." He argued that the walkout threatens public health.

During a Cabinet meeting, Yoon said that the collective action of the young doctors is an act that betrays their responsibilities. He added that it also shakes the basis of liberalism and constitutionalism.

The local government had repeatedly called on protesting doctors to go back to work or face indictments as well as suspensions of their licenses that would last for three months. However, the majority of the strikers missed the government's deadline, which was on Feb. 29, said the Associated Press.