Korea Joongang Daily
Korea JoongAng Daily

2 years ago, a med school quota hike incited a doctor walkout. Why does a new proposal to raise hit different?

While the havoc wreaked from a prolonged doctor walkout in response to a medical school admissions quota hike is still fresh in the minds of the public, Korea is again pushing to raise the cap, but this time, doctors are staying on the job — for now.

2026-02-26

AI chatbot vulnerability produces unsafe medical recommendations, Korean research team finds

As more people turn to generative AI chatbots for medical advice, researchers are warning that many widely used models can be easily manipulated to give dangerous recommendations.

2026-01-05

Rural hospitals are short of doctors and not even high pay will attract them

Rural health care in Korea remains unresolved as the government presses for greater regulation to address doctor shortages, provincial hospitals struggle to recruit staff and physicians push back against proposed changes to address these issues.

2025-12-15

Doctors oppose bill giving emergency dispatchers more authority

Doctors are pushing back against a bill that would give emergency dispatchers more authority to assign patients to hospitals, warning that the move could overwhelm some facilities and jeopardize the emergency care system.

2025-11-19

Emergency rooms overwhelmed with mild cases during Chuseok holiday

During the Chuseok holiday, top-tier emergency rooms across Korea were swamped with patients suffering from mild ailments like colds and nosebleeds, as many clinics remained closed.

2025-10-10

Gov't allows return of trainee doctors to former hospitals to end standoff

The government has decided to allow trainee doctors who previously quit their jobs to resume training at their former hospitals, ending a prolonged standoff prompted by the previous administration's move to sharply boost medical school admissions.

2025-08-07

Med school dropouts can return, ministry rules — but some may get extra exams

The Education Ministry allows medical students to return after boycotts, raising concerns over education quality and potential inequities.

2025-07-25

Is a breakthrough finally in sight in Korea's longest ever doctors' strike?

Nearly a year and a half after junior doctors resigned en masse and medical students boycotted their classes to protest the government's hike of the med school admissions quota, a breakthrough is in sight.

2025-07-17

“Congratulations, Dad”

Capt. Lee Si-hoon shares a joyful moment with his family during the commissioning ceremony for the 55th class of medical officers at the Army Cadet Military School in Goesan, North Chungcheong, on April 24.

2025-04-24

Armed Forces hospital chief apologizes for criticizing Korea in speech

Lee Cook-jong, director of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital, reportedly apologized to the Ministry of National Defense after making remarks critical of Korea’s medical system during a recent speech.

2025-04-21