South Korean trainee doctors' walkout continues as govt’s deadline nears

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) – Major hospitals in South Korea continued to reel from a mass walkout by the trainee doctors on the ninth consecutive day on Wednesday despite a Feb. 29 deadline set by the government to return to work, local media reported.

The government has warned the protesting interns of suspension of licenses and even indictment if they do not return to work by Thursday, a move that propelled a small number of junior doctors to go back to work, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

On Tuesday, the Health Ministry lodged a criminal complaint against five doctors affiliated with the Korean Medical Association, whom authorities suspect of instigating the strike.

Doctors are protesting the government’s plans to increase the number of medical seats to address a shortage of doctors, particularly in rural areas and essential medical fields, particularly high-risk surgeries, pediatrics, obstetrics, and emergency medicine.

Doctors, however, demand that the government rather focus on improving compensation to induce more physicians to practice in such unpopular areas.

South Korea has some 13,000 trainee doctors. The government wants to add 2,000 more seats to 3,058 students enrolled annually.

South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday ruled that the current medical law banning medical professionals from revealing the gender of a fetus before the 32nd week of pregnancy is unconstitutional.

South Korea set a fresh record for the world’s lowest fertility rate, which is likely to take a toll on the country’s health system, social welfare provision and economic growth.

According to data released Wednesday by the National Statistics Office, the country's total fertility rate fell to 0.72 in 2023 from the previous year's 0.78. The comparable figure in 2015 came to 1.24.

The number of babies born in South Korea last year also tumbled to a record low of 229,970, decreasing 7.7% yearly.