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Doctors held a rally in Seoul last week to protest government plans to increase the number of patients.
The South Korean government has ordered more than 1,000 junior doctors back to work after a number of phased retirements in protest of plans to increase the number of doctors in the system.
More than 6,000 interns and residents resigned Monday, officials said.
South Korea has one of the lowest doctor-per-patient ratios among OECD countries, so the government wants to further increase the staffing of medical schools.
But observers say doctors oppose the prospect of increased competition.
South Korea has a highly privatized healthcare system, with most procedures tied to insurance payments, and more than 90% of hospitals are private.
The country's doctors are among the highest paid in the world, with the average specialist in a public hospital earning nearly $200,000 (£159,000) a year, according to 2022 OECD data. Salary far above the national average salary.
However, there are currently only 2.5 doctors per 1,000 people, the second lowest rate among OECD countries after Mexico.
Professor Seungman Kwon, a public health expert at Seoul National University, said: “More doctors means more competition and less income for doctors. That's why we oppose proposals to increase the supply of doctors.” said.
Patients and health officials expressed concern on Tuesday after reports emerged of doctors refusing to visit hospitals across the country.
Young doctors make up the core staff in emergency wards, and local media reported that up to 37% of doctors at Seoul's largest hospital could be affected.
The Ministry of Health said 1,630 doctors were not reporting to work on Monday, while 6,415 doctors from a broader range had submitted their resignations. Organizers had promised a full-scale strike starting Tuesday.
Park Min-soo, the second vice minister of health, told reporters earlier this week, “I am extremely disappointed in the situation in which trainee doctors are refusing to work.''
He also warned that the government could resort to legal action to get doctors back to work.
Minister Park condemns doctors' strike
Under the country's medical law, authorities have the power to revoke doctors' licenses to practice for long working hours that threaten the health system. The country previously attempted to prosecute other doctors in connection with their protests, but the charges were later dropped.
“I sincerely urge the doctors to rescind their decision to resign en masse,'' Park said.
The government has consistently criticized doctors' opposition. Prime Minister Han Deok-soo said, “This is an act that takes the lives and health of the people hostage.''
The extent of the strike's impact is not yet clear, but officials have warned that it could delay surgeries and care. Some hospitals announced a switch to contingency plans. The government has also comprehensively expanded telemedicine services.
The protests are similar to events in 2020, when up to 80% of junior doctors went on strike against the government's recruitment plans.
South Korean policymakers have long sought to increase the number of trained doctors to cope with a rapidly aging population that is putting further strain on the health care system. It is predicted that there will be a shortage of 15,000 doctors by 2035.
The country also has significant disparities in medical care in remote areas and in specialties such as pediatrics and obstetrics, which are considered less profitable fields than dermatology.
To combat this, President Yoon Seok-yeol proposed adding 2,000 slots each year to the medical school. The School of Medicine currently admits just over 3,000 students each year, a rate that has remained unchanged since 2006.
This is a very popular policy with the public, with local opinion polls showing that 70-80% of voters support it.
However, this plan has been strongly opposed by medical professionals, with groups such as the Korean Medical Association arguing that the increase would put a strain on the finances available under the National Health Insurance System.
Unions also argue that adding more doctors will not address shortages in specific fields.
The hospital announced the strike action on Sunday after an emergency meeting with hospital representatives. Junior doctors will be the first to join the strike, but there are concerns that more doctors from outside the profession will also join.
Doctors successfully thwarted the government's previous attempt to introduce more graduates in 2020. Commentators said the government made the concession at the time partly due to pressure from the coronavirus pandemic.
“It's not easy to predict who will win. [this time]'' said Professor Kwon.
He noted that President Yoon “seems to be very determined” because the policy has boosted ratings, especially for an unpopular leader tarnished by political scandals.
“However, private sector-led health systems are highly vulnerable to physician strikes, which means that if doctors go on a full-scale strike, they can actually shut down.”
