Six weeks after thousands of residents and interns at South Korean hospitals walked off the job, frustration is on the rise.

More than 2,000 complaints from patients have been filed regarding postponed, canceled, or refused surgeries and treatments, according to the national health ministry. Hospitals have closed wards and rearranged staff. Nurses are now taking on tasks typically handled by physicians, and military doctors have been deployed to public health centers.

The core of the anger over these disruptions is directed at President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has remained firm in his proposal to greatly expand medical school admissions due to a shortage of physicians. The young doctors who went on strike in February argue that this plan will not effectively address the healthcare system’s issues.

However, many people are also frustrated with the doctors, despite the revered status that physicians hold in South Korea’s hierarchical society. Critics accuse them of trying to safeguard their elite status and income by keeping the number of doctors limited.

“Doctors are one of the richest and most powerful groups in Korea,” said Lee Chun-hee, a 26-year-old office worker in Seoul. “They need to be humbled.”

South Korea has fewer physicians per capita compared to most developed countries – 2.6 doctors per 1,000 people, while the average stands at 3.7 in OECD member countries. Surveys indicate that the majority of South Koreans advocate for an increase in medical student enrollment to tackle this issue. In a recent poll, 43 percent of respondents believe that the 12,000 doctors currently on strike should face legal repercussions.

For some doctors, this sentiment expressed by their patients is surprising.

Dr. Kim Daejung, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism at Ajou University Hospital in Suwon, remarked, “When patients are unwell and come to us for treatment, they approach us with gratitude. However, when it comes to public policies or large societal issues, it appears that the public expects doctors to make concessions.”

Dr. Kim added, “Public attitudes towards doctors are dual-sided. While they are admired and respected, they also attract envy and anger.”

Doctors hold a prestigious position globally, but this is especially prominent in South Korea. Kye Bongoh, a sociology professor at Kookmin University in Seoul, attributes this to a deep-seated belief in educational hierarchy. Many top students opt for medicine over finance or other corporate careers due to its high social standing and perceived long-term financial stability.

“When people hear the term ‘doctor,’ they assume they were at the top of their class since high school,” Professor Kye stated. “Given the rigorous training required to become a doctor, they are highly esteemed.”

Dr. Kim, who obtained his license in 1993, recalls a time when high achievers were equally inclined towards professions like engineering, which promised lucrative positions with major corporations. However, medicine began to appear as a more secure path following the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s, which resulted in the closure of numerous enterprises.

“Becoming a doctor was regarded as a more stable option,” Dr. Kim mentioned.

Due to South Korea’s affordable, government-subsidized, and easily accessible healthcare system, patients engage in what Dr. Seo Yeonjoo, a 33-year-old internal medicine specialist at St. Vincent Hospital near Seoul, described as “medical shopping.” This phenomenon has created a system akin to a celebrity status, as patients seek out esteemed physicians who graduated from prestigious institutions.

“Many individuals visit large hospitals in search of these renowned doctors,” Dr. Seo noted.

The young “trainee doctors” participating in the strike argue that their circumstances are vastly different. They endure strenuous shifts, often earning less than minimum wage when factoring in the extended work hours. Nonetheless, some South Koreans remain skeptical, asserting that lucrative and comfortable careers await these trainees after completing their internships and residencies.

“There is no justifiable reason for doctors opposing an increase in their numbers, other than the desire to earn more at the expense of patients,” an editorial in the Chosun Ilbo newspaper stated.

This isn’t the first instance of doctors resisting efforts to expand medical school admissions. A similar strike occurred in the summer of 2020 when then-President Moon Jae-in proposed a more moderate increase. Faced with a strained medical system during the height of the Covid pandemic, the government relented.

However, Professor Kye suggests that when such events shake the public’s trust in doctors in South Korea, that trust tends to swiftly rebound.

“While there may be resentment towards doctors currently, our societal inclination to seek out esteemed doctors for treatment, and the long-standing perception of them, is unlikely to alter,” he remarked. A year after the last strike, in 2021, surveys indicated that around 60 percent of the public believed the medical system responded effectively to the pandemic.

Yoon Jong Min, a 54-year-old who underwent leg surgery in October, had a follow-up appointment scheduled for last month, which was postponed to mid-April due to the strike. He expressed concerns that it may be delayed again, attributing the issue more to the government than the doctors. “I am a casualty of the administration’s political theatrics,” he stated, suggesting a gradual increase in medical school admissions.

President Yoon’s proposal entails elevating medical school admissions to approximately 5,000 students annually, up from around 3,000, starting next year. It also involves allocating 10 trillion won, or $7.5 billion, over the next five years to enhance healthcare services, particularly in underserved rural areas.

Doctors, along with other government critics, argue that the plan was hastily developed to garner support in upcoming legislative elections this month. The doctors claim it would minimally alleviate the physician shortage, primarily concentrated in departments like emergency care.

Civic groups are urging both doctors and the government to resolve the conflict. The Korea Alliance of Patients Organization stated in a release last week, “Will this abnormal situation only cease after patients perish from inadequate treatment?”

In a televised address this week, Mr. Yoon defended his plan, citing that an additional 2,000 medical students annually was the “minimum” necessity. Nonetheless, he invited doctors to propose an alternative and offered to engage in discussions with them. A prominent doctors’ group embraced this invitation but emphasized that any talks must be substantial.

Dr. Kim, the Ajou University Hospital professor, believes that regardless of the dispute’s outcome, the country’s perspective towards his profession is unlikely to transform. “People may be upset with doctors presently, but they will still desire their children to enter this field,” he concluded.