Why thousands of junior doctors in South Korea are striking, and what it means for patients
Thousands of junior doctors in South Korea are a week into a labor boycott in protest of the government’s push to recruit more medical students to cope with the country’s fast-aging population
By HYUNG-JIN KIM and JIWON SONG
Published - Feb 27, 2024, 05:51 AM ET
Last Updated - Feb 27, 2024, 05:51 AM EST
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Thousands of junior doctors in South Korea have been refusing to see patients and attend surgeries since they walked off the job Feb. 20 in response to the government’s push to recruit more medical students.
As of Tuesday, about 8,940 medical interns and residents have left their worksites in protest, disrupting the operations of major hospitals in South Korea and threatening to burden the country’s overall medical service. Now, authorities warned that they have until Thursday to return to work or face license suspensions and prosecutions.
Here's what's happening with the strikes:
