Medical School Quota Hike: South Korea pledges firm response to illegal acts ahead of Doctors' collective action

Seoul: The South Korean government issued a stern warning on Thursday regarding any potential illegal actions related to the planned collective walkouts by medical professors and community doctors protesting against the medical school quota hike.

The Korean Medical Association (KMA) is urging the government to halt proceedings concerning the medical school quota hike for 2025.

According to an IANS report, "The government will try to persuade doctors until the last moment to prevent their planned collective walkouts. In the meantime, any illegal acts will be met with a stern response," Lee Han-kyung, the interior ministry's chief disaster management official, said during a government meeting. 

"I ask you to prioritise the important value of human lives when making any decisions," the senior official said.

The health ministry also stressed that such a collective action would violate the medical law and be subject to punishment.

"Without due reason, medical staff or hospitals are not allowed to refuse requests for medical treatment and relevant services. The unilateral cancellation of patients' reservations can constitute a refusal as banned by law," Deputy Health Minister Jun Byung-wang said during a separate briefing, news agency IANS reported.

"The government will sternly respond to any illegality while maintaining the emergency system by prioritising the lives and health of the people," he added.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that amid the ongoing protests against the increase in medical school quotas, South Korea's top doctors' organisation said on Sunday that it will stage a walkout and a rally on June 18. The Korea Medical Association (KMA) said it will stage a walkout and a rally on June 18, based on the result of a vote carried out last week on whether to launch collective action, reports Yonhap News Agency.