South Korea criticizes senior doctors who are joining their juniors in a prolonged walkout
By HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s government criticized senior doctors at a major hospital for threatening to resign in support of the weekslong walkouts by thousands of medical interns and residents that have disrupted hospital operations. About 12,000 medical interns and residents have been on strike for four weeks to protest a government plan to sharply increase medical school admissions. On Monday, senior doctors at the Seoul National University Hospital decided to resign en mass early next week if the government doesn’t come up with measures to address the dispute soon. Senior doctors at other major university hospitals could take similar steps, exacerbating the disruption in medical care.
