Confusion continues in South Korea over the issue of increasing medical school admission quotas: President of the Korean Medical Association launches hunger strike but gives up after six days

Lim Hyun-deak, chairman of the Korean Medical Association, who had been on a hunger strike in protest against the South Korean government's decision to increase the number of university medical school admissions in order to alleviate the doctor shortage,
On the 31st of the month, he was taken to the hospital due to his deteriorating health. When the Korean government announced its policy to increase the number of medical school admissions in February of this year, the medical community protested. Trainees resisted by leaving the university en masse, but the Ministry of Education (the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)
In May of this year, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare decided to increase the number of recruits for next year. Chairman Hayashi of the Medical Association complained that the medical field was in chaos, and said, "As the chairman of the Medical Association, I want to convey my true feelings through fasting."
The hunger strike began on the 26th of last month. It was intended to continue until the government changed its stance, but ended on the sixth day. There is a serious shortage of doctors in South Korea, especially in rural areas.
According to the "Statistics and Implications on Healthcare Human Resources in Major OECD Countries" published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 2020, the number of doctors per 1,000 people in Korea is 2.3, lower than the average for OECD member countries (3.5
In an effort to alleviate the doctor shortage, the South Korean government announced in February this year that it would increase the number of admissions to medical schools by 2,000 from the 2025 academic year entrance exam.
In 1998, the number was increased to 3,507, but was reduced to 3,058 in 2006, and has remained at 3,058 every year since. The Yun Seok-yeol administration has been promoting the policy of "protecting the health and lives of the people."
"In order to protect the health of our people, the expansion of the number of doctors is a contemporary issue that cannot be delayed any longer," he said, calling for the need to increase the number of doctors. However, the medical community is opposed to this policy.
He pointed out that the reason for this is the lack of doctors in the so-called "essential medical departments" such as surgery and obstetrics and gynecology. These "essential medical departments" are very demanding and have a relatively high risk of being sued.
The medical community argued that the shortage of doctors was ultimately due to the concentration of doctors in highly profitable fields such as dermatology, ophthalmology, and cosmetic surgery, which are often avoided by doctors in other fields.
In protest, medical trainees resigned en masse, causing delays to routine medical examinations and surgeries, and throwing the medical field into chaos.
However, in May, the Ministry of Education announced that the number of students to be admitted to medical schools in the next academic year will be 1.2 times lower than the previous year at 39 medical schools nationwide.
It was decided that the number of staff would be increased by 497 to a total of 4,610. Although the increase in staff was smaller than initially planned, it was decided to increase staff capacity for the first time since 1998.
The government has imposed administrative measures, such as suspending the medical licenses, on medical interns who have left their jobs in protest against the increase in the number of available positions.
The government took disciplinary action, but retracted the reprimand in July and encouraged them to return to work. However, not many trainees have returned, and the situation remains chaotic and understaffed.
On the 26th of last month, Chairman Lim of the Korean Medical Association held a press conference and stated, "Korean medical care has reached the brink of death, and the lives of the people are at risk."
Chairman Lim pointed out that professors of medical schools who had remained in the field until now are suffering from "burnout syndrome" and are resigning one after another. The president and the National Assembly need to take action to resolve the medical crisis.
The government has no choice but to make the decision, and began a hunger strike on that day, demanding the withdrawal of the increase in admissions. Chairman Hayashi, who became the president of the Japan Medical Association in May this year, is known within the association as a figure who has been in fierce opposition to the government.
When he was elected president in March of this year, he said about the confusion in the medical field that started with the government's policy to increase the number of medical school admissions, "The current situation is not a crisis created by medical interns, medical students, or medical professors.
"This is a crisis created by the government. The government and the ruling party are to blame for the situation," he said. He also threatened to launch a campaign to defeat lawmakers in the upcoming general election next month.
Meanwhile, President Yoon mentioned medical reform at a press conference on national affairs on the 29th of last month, saying, "The increase in the number of medical school staff has already been completed (it has not been decided).
"Therefore, we will focus our policy capabilities on the revitalization of regional and essential medical care, which is the essence of the reform. Recruitment of medical school students for the 2025 academic year is currently proceeding smoothly," he emphasized.
Cho Seung-rye, chief spokesman for the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized the government, saying, "There was not even a single apology for the anxiety and suffering of the people regarding their livelihoods and the gap in medical care."
On the sixth day of his hunger strike, Chairman Lim fell ill and was taken to the hospital.
This is a performance that is often performed by such groups. In August and September of last year, Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, held a demonstration at the Hanshin-Awaji Beach in order to protest against the release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean.
However, he was unable to gain much support from the public. The Korean media Money Today commented, "This hunger strike by Chairman Lim has generated a great deal of public support.
"No agreement has been reached, and there is a feeling within the medical community that nothing was gained."