Yoon vows to respond strictly to doctors’ walkout

President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Wednesday to respond strictly to an ongoing doctors’ walkout, as thousands of trainee physicians remained off their jobs for over two weeks in defiance of the government’s back-to-work order.

Yoon made the remark during a Cabinet meeting at the government complex in Sejong, 113 kilometers south of Seoul, amid no signs of a breakthrough in the impasse over the government’s plan to increase admissions to medical schools by 2,000, starting next year.

“The doctors’ collective action is an act of abandoning one’s duties by oneself and shakes the foundations of liberalism and the rule of law,” he said. “An illegal collective action that takes the people’s lives hostage can only be responded to strictly in accordance with the law and principles.”

The government has begun taking steps to suspend the medical licenses of thousands of intern and resident doctors who have remained off their jobs despite the government’s promise not to hold them accountable if they returned to work by last Thursday.

Yoon said the government will collect its strength across all ministries and mobilize all possible resources to ensure the collective action does not threaten people’s lives or create a gap in medical services.

The Cabinet will approve 128.5 billion won (US$96.3 million) in reserve funds to help stabilize the operation of emergency treatments through the assignment of medical staff to essential medical services and compensation for those who remain dedicated to their jobs, he said.

Yoon also spoke to education issues, noting the “Neulbom School,” an integrated program of after-school child care and education before and after classes from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., began running in earnest at 2,741 elementary schools across the nation this week.

He acknowledged there may be difficulties in running the program depending on region and school, but stressed his commitment to building a “state child care system” and expanding the program as planned to second graders next year and all elementary school students from first to sixth grades in 2026. Currently the program is offered only to first graders.

Yoon further noted the start of the “Freedom Shield” combined military exercise between South Korea and the United States this week, saying the program will help prepare the allies against North Korea’s nuclear threat, as well as cyber attacks and the spread of disinformation.

“At a time when it is highly likely North Korea will carry out a provocation to sway our society ahead of the general elections, this exercise will help us confirm the firm combined defense posture of the South Korea-U.S. alliance,” he said, referring to the parliamentary elections slated for April 10.

Yoon later presided over two additional meetings — one to check progress on the Neulbom School program and another on the government’s response to the doctors’ walkout.

During the latter meeting, Yoon called attention to what he described as the abnormality of the nationwide medical emergency, saying it paradoxically proved the shortage of doctors, the reason behind the plan to increase medical school admissions.

“We must without fail correct and reform the governance system of hospitals, which threatens the health and lives of the people,” he said, vowing to make more active use of trained physician assistant nurses.

Yoon also promised to support hospitals with labor costs to help them hire more doctors and nurses in essential medical fields, and at the five major hospitals in Seoul, expand compensation for treatment of serious illnesses while reducing compensation for mild cases.