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The 2024 Medical-political Conflict and the Future of Korean Healthcare

  • Korean Journal of Medical Ethics
  • Abbr : 의료윤리
  • 2025, 28(1), pp.93~101
  • Publisher : The Korean Society For Medical Ethics
  • Research Area : Medicine and Pharmacy > General Medicine
  • Received : March 6, 2025
  • Accepted : March 19, 2025
  • Published : March 31, 2025

Cheong Yooseok ORD ID 1

1단국대학교

Accredited

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.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.