KIHASA Update
Window on Korean Society: June 8-14
- Date 2024-06-10
- Hits 191
June 8
●Largest association of doctors may stage walkout on June 20: sources (The Korea Herald)
Medical doctors and professors may stage a walkout later this month in protest against the government's recent decision to hike medical school admissions, informed sources said Saturday.
June 9
●KMA announces large-scale strike over medical reforms to take place on June 18 (Korea JoongAng Daily)
The Korean Medical Association (KMA) announced Sunday it will stage a general strike on June 18 to protest government reforms.●Korea's gender equality index improves, but glaring gaps remain (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Gender disparities in Korea are widest in decision-making authority and narrowest in access to education and health care, the Gender Ministry said Friday.●Doctors set to launch full-scale strike in protest against med school reform (The Korea Herald)
South Korea's largest lobbying group for doctors on Sunday announced its plan to launch a full-scale strike in protest over the country's medical reform policies, which center on increasing the number of slots at medical schools starting next year, once again bringing widespread disruptions to medical services.●Government may disclose info related to work-life balance at local firms (The Korea Herald)
The South Korean government said Sunday it has hired experts to conduct research on adopting a new system in which local companies submit detailed information about their benefits related to workers' well-being.●'Equality of both genders', not gender equality? Planned ordinance change accused of discrimination (The Korea Herald)
Seoul Metropolitan Government recently notified the legislative process for a revision an ordinance on gender equality to change the mentions of "gender equality" to "equality of both genders" touching off a dispute that the revision amounts to discrimination toward the LGBTQ+ people.●Doctors mull all-out strike amid lingering deadlock over medical reform (The Korea Herald)
South Korea's largest organization of doctors was set to announce its future course of action against the government's medical reform on Sunday, potentially including an all-out strike, amid the lingering walkout by junior doctors that has lasted nearly four months.●Korea is gender equal in education, but not in family care, decision-making (The Korea Times)
Korea is almost gender equal in terms of education and health care, but the gender gap is significantly wide in family care and decision-making in the public sector, with women facing disadvantages in those areas, a government index showed, Friday.●Doctors' organization to stage walkout, rally this month (The Korea Times)
Korea's top doctors' organization said Sunday it plans to stage a walkout and a rally later this month in protest of the medical school quota hike, amid the lingering protest by junior doctors that has lasted nearly four months.
June 10
●Gov't orders community doctors to keep providing medical care after they vote to strike (The Korea Times)
Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said Monday the government ordered community doctors to keep providing medical treatment and report to authorities when they close their businesses, after the doctors voted to stage a strike in protest of the government's medical reform.●Gov't orders community doctors to continue working amid threatened strike (Korea JoongAng Daily)
The government on Monday ordered community doctors to continue providing medical services and to report to local governments when they close their practices on June 18, expressing "deep regret" over the doctors' planned general strike announced the day before.●Ministry to order private doctors to maintain operation on day of strike (The Korea Herald)
Amid an escalating dispute between the government and doctors over having more medical students, the government on Monday ordered private practitioners to keep providing treatment and report to authorities when they close practice to join a one-day strike led by the country's largest doctors' group next week.●4 our of 10 S. Koreans want shorter work week: survey (The Korea Herald)
A recent [survey] showed that many South Korean workers think the optimal cap for weekly work hours should be 48 hours, four hours less than the legally allowed 52 and far lower than the 69 previously pursued by the government.●Why Korea's largest doctors association is calling a general strike (The Hankyoreh)
Korea's largest medical ssociation declared on Sunday that its affiliated privte practitioners, professors at medical universities, and doctors at government institutions would go on a general strike, saying that they will begin a "collective leave of absence" on June 18.●Med school professors likely to join doctors' planned strike next week (The Korea Times)
Medical school professors are expected to join a planned strike by doctors next week to lend support for their colleagues protesting the government's medical reform plan, officials said Monday.
June 11
●Korea's labor reform pursues well-being of all workers: minister (The Korea Times)
Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jung-sik stressed the need to protect workers in vulnerable positions from unfairness and inequality amid global demographic shifts and technological advancements at the 112th International Labour Conference (ILC), Monday.●Over 7 in 10 Seoul residents believe having children is 'onerous task for women': poll (The Korea Times)
More than seven out of 10 residents in Seoul view childbirth as something burdensom for women, in a poll result reflecting the trend of shunning marriage and parenthood.●More medical professors mull joining SNUH on picket line (Korea JoongAng Daily)
More medical professors at the country's largest teaching hospitals may stage a walkout following Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH)'s announcement of a indefinite strike starting June 17.●Patients feel let down by doctors' strike (The Korea Herald)
Four months into the prolonged medical standoff, patients, once again, are left on edge as medical professors and private practitioners are set to take a day off next week, after the largest lobbying group for doctors voted to go on strike on June 18 to protest the government's drastic medical school quota expansion.●Korea threatens license suspensions for doctors who flout order to treat patients (The Hankyoreh)
The South Korean government will impose treatment orders and closure reporting orders on private clinic physicians who have signaled their intent to go on a collective leave of absence.
June 12
●Medical professors set to decide whether to join planned strike by community doctors (The Korea Herald)
Professors at 40 medical schools were set to hold a meeting Wednesday to decide whether or not to join a planned strike by community doctors, an official at a group of the professors has said.●Gov't to launch survey to identify isolated, reclusive youths (The Korea Times)
The gender ministry is set to launch an official survey on isolated and reclusive teens for the first time starting Tuesday as part of efforts to identify such groups and come up with support measures.●Goyang health officials issue malaria advisory amid nationwide rise in cases (The Korea Times)
Health officials in Goyang, a city close to the inter-Korean border, have issued a malaria advisory following the confirmation of two cases of the mosquito-borne disease in the same area within just four days.●Chaos looms as more medical professors opt for indefinite strike (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Fears of chaos in Korea's medical system are growing after more doctors at the country's largest teaching hospitals decided on Wednesday to stage an indefinite walkout.●Older Koreans juggle gigs as number of senior 'N-jobblers' surges (Korea JoongAng Daily)
A wave of senior job seekers is hitting the job market, with some older workers juggling multiple jobs and out-earning young professionals just starting their careers.●Women protest ministry's ban on simultaneous use of childbirth pain meds (The Korea Herald)
A backlash is coming from South Korea's pregnant women over the Health Ministry's decision not to allow the simultaneous use of epidurals and a continuous local anesthetic colloquially referred to as a "pain buster" here during childbirth starting next month, lambasting the government for restricting womens' right to choose.●Professors at 40 med schools decide to shut down services on June 18 (The Korea Herald)
The Medical Professors Association of Korea said late Wednesday that it has decided to join the one-day shutdown of services on June 18 planned by the largest doctors' group here.●[Community Discovery] Mapo's Hyodo Babsang program becomes model for senior welfare (The Korea Herald)
"Godoksa," or lonely death, has recently become a nationwide concern in South Korea, challenging the deeply rooted Confucian belief in filial piety.●Patients demand withdrawal of SNU hospitals' walkout plan, vow to review legal action against doctors (The Korea Times)
Cancer patients and others with critical medical conditions on Wednesday demanded the withdrawal of the Seoul National University Hospital doctors' plan to launch a walkout and warned of reviewing legal actions against them.
June 13
●Govt. vows stern response to illegal acts ahead of doctors' collective action (The Korea Herald)
Any illegal acts related to the collective action by doctors will be dealt with sternly, the government said Thursday, as medical professors and community doctors plan to stage walkouts in protest against the medical school quota hike.●Applying different minimum wage to each sector will divide society: FKTU president (The Korea Times)
Setting divergent minimum wages for different sectors amounts to socio-economic discrimination and will only divide society, according to Kim Dong-myung, president of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU).●Health Ministry threatens 'stern response' to upcoming KMA-led doctors' strike (Korea JoongAng Daily)
The Health Ministry warned on Thursday that medical professors and doctors who participate in the one-day walkout next week could face a "stern response" from authorities if the strike results in cancellations and delays in patient care.●Philippines prepared to send more workers under improved working conditions: Philippine politician (The Korea Herald)
A Philippine politician who represents and advocates for overseas Filipino workers sees South Korea as a rising destination for Filipinos seeking overseas employment, with its higher living standards and pay, along with its attractive culture, being major draws.●Ministry warns of stern action against doctors who go on strike (The Korea Herald)
Amid growing concerns about significant disruptions expected in South Korea's medical services due to a nationwide doctor strike next week, the government warned Thursday of a stern response, saying that such collective action would be considered an illegal "refusal to provide medical care."●Desperate patients appeal for withdrawal of doctors' planned strike (The Korea Times)
Out of deepening despair amid a prolonged walkout by trainee doctors, patients on Thursday lashed out at doctors for planning a broader strike next week and urged the government to enact a law to prevent a recurrence of a collective action by medical staff.
June 14
●Seoul National University hospital walkout to go ahead as planned Monday (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Medical professors at Seoul National University (SNU) and its four affiliated hospitals announced on Friday that they will stage an indefinite strike as planned starting Monday, assuring it would not affect the treatment of patients with critical and rare diseases.●Indefinite strike 'last resort' to salvage medical crisis: SNU med profs (The Korea Herald)
Apologizing to patients for the inconvenience caused by an indefinite strike to begin Monday, the emergency committee of medical professors at Seoul National University said late Friday that its decision was a "last resort" to address the country's unsustainable medical crisis.●How will med professors' walkout on June 18 impact hospitals? (The Korea Herald)
Professors at 40 medical schools, along with private practitioners, have decided to join a one-day shutdown of services on Tuesday, organized by the largest doctors' group here, with the scope of the impact on South Korea's health care system as yet unknown.●Minimum wage rules to continue excluding gig workers next year (The Korea Herald)
The Korean tripartite Minimum Wage Commission with representatives from businesses, labor and the general public has decided not to expand application of the minimum wage to include gig workers for the coming year, despite calls from labor unions to do so.●Heads of doctors groups clash over medical standoff (The Korea Herald)
The respective leaders of a group representing trainee doctors and the largest group of physicians in the country entered a war of words regarding the ongoing standoff between the government and the medical community, hinting at a potential rift in the medical circle.●'That will not work': Joan Williams says cash handouts won't make Koreans have kids (The Hankyoreh)
"Give people money to have children? That will not work."●Middle-aged workers surge in S. Korea's part-time job market (The Chosun Daily)
In the upscale Gangnam district of Seoul, 27-year-old owner of a budget coffee shop, Noh, hired a part-time worker in her 40s earlier this year.