Thousands of striking resident doctors began to return to hospitals in South Korea on 1 September, ending an 18 month standoff that endured through police raids, a martial law declaration, and five changes of president.
The return was agreed on 7 August at the third meeting of a consultative body that brought together health officials, resident doctors, and medical students.1
The Korean Medical Association (KMA) cautiously welcomed the decision and the engagement from the new minister for health and welfare, Jeong Eun-kyeong, while calling for “policies that accurately reflect the reality of the medical field, not empty talk.”2 After meeting the minister this week, KMA president Kim Taek-woo urged her to “drastically improve” conditions for trainees.
A spokesperson for the health minister did not answer questions by press time, and the KMA did not respond to enquiries.
The end to the strikes came after positive signals from the new health minister, who has spoken of the need to build bridges with the nation’s physicians. …
