The 2024 Medical-political Conflict and the Future of Korean Healthcare
10.35301/ksme.2025.28.1.93
- Author:
Yooseock CHEONG
1
Author Information
1. Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Medical Ethics, Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea
- Publication Type:Brief communication
- From:
Korean Journal of Medical Ethics
2025;28(1):93-101
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
In 2024, the South Korean healthcare system experienced an unprecedented crisis amid severe conflicts between the government and the medical community. The government’s unilateral healthcare policies—especially its proposed increase of 2,000 medical school admissions and its strict countermeasures against protesting physicians—triggered a mass exodus of students, residents, and faculty members crucial to essential medical services. Consequently, medical education across the nation was suspended for a year, and university hospitals experienced severe disruptions in clinical operations as a result of residents abandoning their training. This study provides a multifaceted analysis of the impact of the 2024 healthcare crisis on the Korean medical system, focusing on the collapse of the residency training system, the crisis in medical education, and the disruptions in clinical services. Furthermore, it investigates the remaining challenges and critical actions needed from both Korean society and the medical community to forge a more sustainable healthcare system in Korea.
