Ever since the Yoon administration’s plan to increase the number of available spots at medical schools by 2000 students, dissatisfied doctors, particularly those affiliated with the Korean Medical Association Organization (KMAO), are protesting by refusing to diagnose patients.

The implications of the protests are severe: patients who need surgeries for life-threatening conditions are having their surgery date indefinitely delayed, emergency rooms that already lack doctors are unable to admit new patients, and hospitals are encouraging nurses to do the jobs of the doctors in order to continue treating patients.

The protests are not limited to doctors. Medical school students, interns in residency, and some professors are joining in on the effort to stop the government from increasing the quota at medical schools.

The main argument of the KMAO is that increasing the number of medical school students by 2000 students is too much and that there is not a lack of doctors in Korea. Meanwhile, the government has maintained their stance that with the aging population, an increase in doctors is necessary, citing Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data of the doctors per population of other countries.

“As someone who has parents working in the medical field, I realize that they worked hard to obtain their licenses and sympathize with their discontent with the surge in the medical school quota,” Eddie Chu (12), said. “But I think there will inevitably be a time where Korea has to train more doctors, so it is important that medical school students are given opportunities to get practical experience to contribute to the economy.”