ROK's Yoon urges striking doctors to stop 'making threats'

Republic of Korea (ROK) President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Monday his government is open to talks with doctors who oppose his plan to increase medical school admissions, while urging them to stop "making threats" as the strike drags on.

"The number 2,000 is a minimum increase the government came up with through thorough calculations, and followed sufficient discussions with the medical community, including doctors' groups, until the decision was reached," Yoon said in a 50-minute address to the nation.

Doctors opposed to the plans should stop "making threats" and present a "unified blueprint with clear scientific reasoning," he said.

Yoon signaled his willingness for the first time to seek a compromise on his medical reform proposals after the government called for dialogue with striking doctors.

"If you come up with a more proper and reasonable solution, we can discuss it as much as you want," he said. "If you present better opinions and rational grounds, government policy can change for the better."

Some 12,000 trainee doctors have been on strike since February 20 in protest against the proposals, forcing hospitals to cancel treatments and surgeries.

The ROK government has argued that the reform was necessary to alleviate staff shortages and manage the country's rapid transition to an aged society.

The ROK's population of 52 million had 2.6 doctors per 1,000 people in 2022, far below the average of 3.7 for countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Striking doctors, who argue that the medical system is not equipped to handle such a steep increase in new recruits, face the risk of losing their medical licences after the government last month began taking steps to suspend them.

Yoon urged the doctors to return to work before the process to suspend their licences was complete, saying collective action should only be considered "when I do not keep my promises."

(With input from agencies)