South Korea to financially support 8,000 medical facilities to work through Chuseok

In response to the prolonged strike by resident doctors, the South Korean government and the ruling People's Power Party (PPP) agreed on September 12 to provide financial support to encourage about 8,000 hospitals and clinics to accept patients for treatment during the Chuseok holiday.

The two sides reached the consensus during a meeting of government officials and PPP lawmakers at the National Assembly, Kim Sang-hoon, a top policymaker for the PPP, told reporters. The government and the PPP also agreed to expedite the passage of a special law to help doctors reduce their liability in the event of medical incidents.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo also called on the medical community to join a four-party consultation committee consisting of the government, the ruling party, opposition parties, and doctors' organizations to find a solution to end the prolonged strikes.

The meeting comes amid growing concerns about a shortage of emergency medical services during the five-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which has been marred by a strike by medical interns. Most residents and interns have walked off the job since February this year in protest at a government decision to sharply increase enrollment quotas for medical schools, forcing major hospitals to cut back on surgeries and other treatments. The prolonged strike has raised concerns about disruptions to medical services during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which runs from September 14 to 18.