CaliToday (10/9/2025): The South Korean healthcare system is grappling with a severe and deepening crisis as a protracted, large-scale strike by thousands of junior doctors has led to a critical shortage of core medical services, significantly impacting patient care across the nation.
The standoff, which has been ongoing for months, stems from a contentious government reform plan aimed at addressing the country's doctor shortage, particularly in rural areas and essential fields like pediatrics and emergency medicine. The government's key proposal is to dramatically increase medical school admission quotas by 2,000 students per year. Officials argue this is a necessary long-term solution to prepare for a rapidly aging population and to bolster the understaffed medical sectors.
However, this plan has been met with fierce opposition from the medical community, including the Korean Medical Association (KMA). Trainee and resident doctors—who form the backbone of emergency and acute care in major hospitals—argue that the government's plan fails to address the fundamental issues of low pay and poor working conditions in essential specialties. They contend that simply increasing the number of doctors without fixing these underlying problems will only lead to more competition in high-paying, specialized fields like cosmetic surgery and dermatology, rather than solving the rural and essential care deficit.
In protest, more than 12,000 junior doctors, constituting over 90% of the trainee workforce, have walked off the job since February 2025. They have submitted their resignations and refused to return to their posts, leading to a state of near-paralysis in the nation's top university and teaching hospitals.
The consequences for patient care have been dire:
Widespread Surgery Cancellations: Hospitals have been forced to postpone or cancel up to 50% of non-essential surgeries and treatments.
Overwhelmed Emergency Rooms: With junior doctors absent, emergency rooms are struggling to cope, leading to significant delays and reports of patients being turned away.
Increased Strain on Senior Staff: Senior doctors and medical professors have been left to cover the immense workload, with many working exhaustive hours to the point of burnout.
The government has taken a hardline stance, issuing back-to-work orders and suspending the medical licenses of strike leaders, citing that the collective action violates medical laws and endangers public safety. However, these measures have so far failed to break the impasse, instead hardening the resolve of the striking doctors.
The crisis has now evolved into a significant social and political challenge, with patients caught in the middle of a bitter dispute between the government and the medical community. As the standoff continues with no immediate resolution in sight, the long-term damage to South Korea's highly regarded healthcare system and the erosion of public trust become more profound each day.
