The Korean Medical Association (KMA) announced on the 18th that it will proceed with a collective strike, holding a large-scale rally in Yeouido, Seoul, and will begin an indefinite strike starting from the 27th.
On the same day, KMA President Lim Hyun-taek stated at the "National Doctors' General Rally to Stop Medical Manipulation," "If the government does not accept the legitimate demands of doctors, we will enter an indefinite strike starting from the 27th," adding, "Let us all unite against the government's dictatorship and surely save Korean healthcare."
On the afternoon of the 18th, participants hold placards at the National Doctors' General Rally held on Yeouidaero, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The KMA held the general rally with three demands: reconsideration of the medical school quota increase plan, revision and supplementation of key issues in the essential medical policy package, and immediate retroactive cancellation of all administrative orders and sanctions related to residents and medical students.
Initially, the KMA reported the number of participants as 20,000, but the police estimated between 5,000 and 12,000. Participants waved placards with slogans such as "Unprepared Medical School Quota Increase Destroys Medical Education" and "Medical Manipulation, Educational Manipulation, Essential Medical Collapse."
President Lim pointed out at the rally, "Due to the government's medical manipulation, countless residents nationwide have left medical sites, and because of educational manipulation, medical students have left their schools for over four months now," adding, "The government not only treats resigning residents as criminals but is also trying to force them into compulsory labor."
He continued, "The government must respect doctors as experts who save lives, not as slaves, and listen to them," stating, "We will fight to the end until the oppressive government treats doctors as professionals and precious life-saving beings."
KMA Delegate Chairman Kim Gyo-woong criticized, "Let us wake up the government's poor communication and arrogance, which mistakenly believes that world-class healthcare can be achieved by orders."
Hwang Kyu-seok, President of the Seoul Medical Association, said, "Government officials claim doctors are public goods, but 90% of Korean healthcare is private property," adding, "The government trampled on the basic rights of citizens to choose their profession with the delusion that doctors are public goods and issued unconstitutional orders daily."
Meanwhile, the Korea Severe Disease Alliance issued a statement regarding the KMA's collective strike, saying, "Doctors have ultimately engaged in an illegal collective strike, throwing away the Hippocratic Oath," and stated, "Illegal acts must be dealt with according to the law."
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