South Korea’s largest doctors’ organization announced it plans to stage an all-out strike and a nationwide rally later this month in protest of the government’s medical school quota hike. This is the first time the Korea Medical Association (KMA) is taking collective action amid the current conflict with the government.
“The KMA will form a special committee and initiate an all-out walkout on June 18,” KMA President Lim Hyun-taek said during a rally at the association’s office in central Seoul’s Yongsan District on June 9.
The KMA represents around 120,000 doctors. According to the KMA, 90.6% of the 70,800 members who participated in the vote on the association’s general strike referendum held from June 4 to 7 supported the KMA’s hardline stance against the government’s medical school quota hike. Additionally, 73.5% stated they would participate in collective action, including taking a leave of absence or temporarily closing clinics.
The KMA demanded that the government “put a stop to increasing medical school admissions in 2025,” adding, “What happens on June 19-20 and after that depends on the government’s response.”
“Although the KMA is planning collective action, we are preparing in advance to ensure that patients receive proper treatment,” said KMA spokesperson Choi Anna. “Our goal is not to shut down clinics but to stop the government’s tyranny.”
However, the extent to which the medical community will actually participate in the walkout is unclear, as some doctors oppose the all-out strike. Temporary closures for private practitioners running local clinics could lead to significant financial losses. If the government suspends doctors’ licenses due to the closures, they may have to shut down their businesses entirely. For similar reasons, only 10% of private practitioners participated in the general strike in 2020.
