South Korea has taken legal action against five doctors suspected of setting up a mass walkout of trainee doctors, the first step in a process that could result in the revocation of their medical licenses. The criminal complaint filed by authorities targets members of the Korea Medical Association, the most prominent doctors’ group in the country, for allegedly violating medical law.
Among the doctors targeted in the complaint are Kim Taek-woo, head of the KMA’s emergency committee, Joo Soo-ho, head of the committee’s public relations council, and Lim Hyun-taek, president of the Korean Pediatric Association.
The investigation by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s public crime division focuses on current and former leaders of the doctors’ lobbying group. The Health Ministry lodged the complaint, accusing them of inciting junior doctors to participate in a collective walkout from hospitals, leading to disruptions in medical services at major healthcare facilities. On the other hand, doctors claimed to be protesting the government’s plan to expand medical school admissions by 2,000 annually.
The ministry accused the doctors of violating medical law, obstructing justice, and abetting collective resignations among junior doctors, citing Articles 59 and 88 of the Medical Service Act.
The KMA, with a membership of approximately 140,000 doctors nationwide, has been leading the ongoing strike, which has entered its ninth day, causing disruptions in medical services and straining hospital resources.
In a further escalation of efforts to end the doctors’ walkout, officials visited the residences of trainee doctors who participated in the collective job action last week to deliver back-to-work orders.
President Yoon Suk-yeol has firmly urged an end to the walkout, stating that it threatens public safety and that his administration will not yield to pressure. In preparation for potential non-compliance, the government has signaled its readiness to take legal action, including arrests, prosecutions, and the suspension of medical licenses for doctors failing to return to work.
Interior Ministry Lee Sang-min issued an ultimatum to junior doctors on Monday, stating that the government would not hold them accountable if they returned to work by the end of the month, citing ongoing disruptions in medical institutions.
Park Min-soo, Second Vice Health Minister also urged trainee doctors to end their collective action and warned of potential consequences for those who did not comply. Park emphasized that failure to meet the back-to-work deadline by Thursday could result in the suspension of doctors’ licenses for a minimum of three months, along with the possibility of facing judicial measures such as investigations and prosecutions.
The ministry’s complaint against the doctors in the walkout represents the government’s initial step towards prosecuting those it deems most responsible for the labor action. Approximately 9,000 junior doctors have participated in the walkout at general hospitals nationwide, protesting a government proposal to increase medical school seats by 2,000 to address the country’s severe doctor shortage.
This shortage has resulted in a significant reduction in surgeries and forced emergency rooms to turn away patients due to staffing deficits, highlighting the situation’s urgency.
While the government’s plan to increase medical school seats enjoys public support, doctors involved in the walkout argue that it fails to address underlying issues such as inadequate working conditions, the urban concentration of physicians, and insufficient protection against malpractice lawsuits.
Critics of the labor action suggest that it may be more about safeguarding doctors’ earning potential, which ranks among the highest in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, rather than enhancing the quality of South Korea’s healthcare system.
Despite mounting pressure, President Yoon Suk-yeol has stood firm on his plan to expand medical school admissions, boosting his support rate in recent polling. This uptick in popularity could benefit his conservative People Power Party in the upcoming April elections, where they seek to gain control of parliament from the progressive Democratic Party.
