SEOUL (Reuters) – Ryu Ok Hada always had a desire to help others, but now the South Korean trainee doctor has walked away from his job and is standing outside the hospital where he used to work, holding his medical gown in his hand.
Park Dan, who recently achieved his childhood dream of becoming an emergency physician, is among over 7,800 interns and residents who have resigned in a clash with the government, which has threatened to arrest them.
Ryu and Park claim that junior doctors, who play a crucial role in South Korea’s esteemed medical system, are overworked, underpaid, and ignored.
Hospitals have been turning away patients and canceling surgeries after about two-thirds of the country’s young doctors went on strike this month in protest.
The junior doctors argue that their pay and working conditions should be the main focus, rather than the government’s plan to increase the number of physicians. Authorities argue that more medical staff are required to improve healthcare services in remote areas and meet the growing needs of one of the world’s fastest-aging societies.
“The current medical system in South Korea, which is a great one, is run by making cheap trainee doctors keep grinding,” said 25-year-old Ryu in an interview with Reuters.
While senior doctors and private practitioners have not joined the strike, they have organized rallies calling for the government to abandon its plan, with 400 doctors gathering in Seoul on Sunday.
However, the government’s proposal to boost medical school admissions has received popular support, with approximately 76% of respondents favoring it, regardless of their political affiliation, according to a recent Gallup Korea poll.
TORN BETWEEN PATIENTS, POLICY
Intern and resident doctors in South Korea work 36-hour shifts, in contrast to shifts of under 24 hours in the U.S., as stated by the Korean Intern Resident Association. The association reports that half of the young U.S. physicians work 60 hours a week or less, while Korean doctors often work over 100 hours.
Ryu revealed that he worked over 100 hours a week at one of the country’s top university hospitals, earning 2 million to 4 million won ($1,500-$3,000) a month including overtime pay. In comparison, a first-year U.S. resident typically earns around $5,000 a month, according to data from the American Medical Association.
Hospitals have not processed the resignations of the protesting doctors, who emphasize that they are not on strike. The government has ordered them to return to work, threatening to arrest them or revoke their licenses, arguing that their collective action is unjustifiable and that people’s lives must take priority.
Park and other doctors claim that the order is unconstitutional, forcing them to work against their will.
The doctors participating in the strike represent just a small fraction of South Korea’s 100,000 doctors, but they can make up more than 40% of staff at major teaching hospitals, handling critical responsibilities in emergency rooms, intensive care units, and operating rooms.
Emergency rooms at South Korea’s top five hospitals were under “red alert” status on Sunday, indicating a shortage of beds. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo declared on Friday that public hospitals would extend their hours and operate on weekends and holidays to address the demand.
Park, 33, who leads the Korean Intern Resident Association, is calling for authorities to place doctors in essential disciplines such as pediatrics and emergency departments at large hospitals.
Doctors are seeking improved legal protection from malpractice lawsuits and changes to a system where many hospitals depend on a poorly paid workforce and out-of-insurance services to stay financially stable in a country often praised for offering quality universal medical coverage affordably, Park explained.
He expressed his struggle between his patients and a government that enforces policies without listening to the doctors, acknowledging that he felt compelled to act. “With a sense of pride in saving patients, I have come this far. As many doctors have said, it was heartbreaking and challenging to leave patients behind,” Park admitted. “But the current system is flawed, so we need something better.”
($1 = 1,329.9500 won)
(Reporting by Ju-min Park and Minwoo Park; Editing by William Mallard)
