Yoon says doctors should not hold people's lives, health hostage
President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Feb. 20. Yonhap
President Yoon Suk Yeol urged young doctors Tuesday to call off their collective action against the government's medical reform policy, saying their protest is taking the people's lives and health hostage.
Yoon issued the call during a Cabinet meeting after more than 6,400 trainee doctors submitted their resignations and about 1,600 of them walked off the job to protest the government's plan to increase admissions to medical schools.
"Trainee doctors who are key players in the medical field and medical school students who are key players in future medicine should not take collective action by taking the people's lives and health hostage," he said during the meeting at the presidential office, noting some surgeries for cancer patients have already been postponed.
"Along with national security and public safety, protecting the people's lives and safety is the reason for the state's existence and the most basic constitutional responsibility given to the government," he said.
Yoon also said the government plan to increase the annual enrollment quota by 2,000 starting next year from the current 3,058 meets only the minimum and still falls "far short" of the required number. (Yonhap)