(VOVWORLD) - President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed on Tuesday to go ahead with a plan to increase the number of students admitted into medical schools to improve healthcare in South Korea, and said there was no justification for the protests this reform had triggered.
 At a hospital in Seoul (Photo: Yonhap/VNA) |
More than 9,000 young doctors, or about two-thirds of the total number of physician trainees in South Korea, walked off the job last week because of the plan, saying the healthcare sector was not short of doctors, and the government should address pay and working conditions first.
Several ministers have threatened the protesters with legal action, including suspending their licenses, while also inviting the doctors to hold talks to end the dispute.
Yoon, however, maintained the same hardline stance he took in the face of a strike by truckers in 2022, as the dispute started to disrupt supply chains and threatened to paralyse key industries.
Many Koreans back Yoon's plan, and his support ratings have edged up in recent weeks, ahead of a general election in April. A recent Gallup Korea poll showed 76% support for the plan.