On Monday, South Korea will begin sending military doctors and physicians from public health centers to hospitals affected by a strike, in order to assist with patient care. This strike involves around 12,000 trainee doctors from 100 hospitals, who are protesting government reform proposals.

At a meeting on Sunday, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong announced that a team of 20 military surgeons and 138 public health doctors will be allocated to 20 hospitals for a duration of four weeks.

According to a briefing from the defense ministry, only a small percentage of the approximately 2,400 military doctors have been summoned to assist thus far.

The government has refuted any claims that the Feb. 20 walkout has resulted in a significant health crisis. However, multiple hospitals have struggled with accommodating patients and have had to postpone medical treatments.

According to data from the health ministry, as of Friday morning, approximately 12,000 doctors from 100 hospitals have gone on strike to protest a government proposal to increase the number of students admitted to medical school. Despite pressure from authorities to resume working, the doctors remain firm in their stance.

South Korean officials have attempted to convince doctors to resume their duties by issuing a warning that their licenses could be revoked, but this method has yet to yield desired results.

As of Friday, the health ministry has issued notifications to over 4,900 doctors, informing them that their licenses may be suspended if they fail to provide an explanation for their actions.

Cho stated on KBS Radio on Monday that doctors who resumed working prior to the completion of the license suspension process would receive leniency.

The government has the power to order doctors back to work if it deems there is a serious risk to lives and public health.

The government’s proposed initiative to add 2,000 new medical school acceptances per year, beginning in 2025, is crucial in addressing the shortage of physicians in one of the world’s rapidly ageing populations.

The doctors on strike claim that adding medical students alone will not solve issues with their pay and working conditions, and could potentially make the problems worse.

Opponents of the measure also claim that President Yoon Suk Yeol is intentionally provoking a conflict regarding healthcare reform to gain an advantage for his party in the upcoming parliamentary elections in April.

According to the results of a recent poll conducted by Yonhap news agency, 84% of those surveyed expressed their approval for increasing the number of doctors. Additionally, 43% of participants believed that doctors who go on strike should face severe punishment.