World / Asia
Thousands of South Korean doctors stage mass demonstration in Seoul
수천명의 한국 의사들이 서울에서 대규모 시위를 벌리고 있습니다.
By Manveena Suri, Lucas Lillieholm and Yoonjung Seo, CNN
3 minute read
Published 8:09 AM EST, Sun March 3, 2024
South Korean doctors participate in a rally against the government's medical policy on Sunday in Seoul, South Korea.
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
CNN —
Thousands of doctors in South Korea took to the streets of Seoul on Sunday to protest the government’s plans to increase medical school admissions and what they see as a broader lack of support for the country’s medical system.
The doctors say the government needs to address a wider range of challenges facing the healthcare system than just the total number of doctors trained per year.
Their concerns include staffing in specific fields and the price the government pays for essential medical treatments as well as establishing a proper infrastructure for educating large numbers of new medical students.
The government’s plan, announced in February, will increase the number of students admitted to medical schools by 2,000 starting in the 2025 academic year which would bring the total to 5,000 per year.
Trainee doctors are also angry over difficult working conditions that include low pay and long hours.
Around 8,000 trainee doctors in South Korea began striking on February 21 by submitting their resignation. A further 1,000 have resigned since then.