South Korea doctors offer to resign amid spat with government, raising worries about medical service

By JIWON SONG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Trainee doctors in South Korea have begun resigning en masse in protest of a government plan to increase the number of medical students. Their action Monday reportedly caused delays in surgeries and other treatments at hospitals, but no major disruption in the country’s medical service has yet occurred. Health authorities say it’s urgent to have more doctors considering South Korea’s fast-aging population. But doctors say the government must use available resources to raise medical fees and resolve other problems first. Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo expressed “deep worries” over the trainee doctors’ action. He said the government ordered them to continue their jobs.