The profession of doctor in Korea has an income of 230.7 million won (4 billion VND) per year, but the working conditions are harsh, many people work 80 hours a week.
Doctors are one of the most respected and highest-paid professions in South Korea. According to a report by the Korea Occupational and Labor Network in April 2022, medical workers are among the top 10 highest-earning occupations. Specialist positions account for 16 of the top 20 highest-earning jobs, along with pilots, fund managers, and university presidents.
A survey by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs showed that the average annual income of doctors is 230.7 million won (4 billion VND), more than twice the income level considered high in this country. This figure is also higher than the average income of 140 million won at Samsung Group.
In addition to high income, job satisfaction is also a reason why the medical profession attracts students. In 2021, more than half of medical staff said they would recommend this profession to others. This number increased last year, to 61.4%, showing that the medical profession is increasingly popular.
According to the Korea Career and Workers Network, parents tend to suggest that their children pursue a career in medicine. One in five elementary and middle school students aspire to attend medical school.
Despite high salaries and good social status, many doctors say they are working in harsh conditions. This is also one of the reasons leading to the strike that has paralyzed the medical industry in recent days.
On February 20, more than 1,600 doctors and interns at major hospitals in South Korea staged a strike to protest the government's plan to admit more students to medical schools.
Doctors say officials are ignoring specific problems such as harsh working conditions and low salaries for interns and residents. Surveys show that doctors often work shifts of more than 24 hours a week, and even 80 hours a week.
"I don't see my future working in emergency medicine for the next five or 10 years," said Park Dan, head of the Korea Intern Association, who recently resigned from Severance Hospital's emergency department.
The current government insurance and payment system only allows doctors in certain departments, such as cosmetic surgery, to make a decent living, Mr. Park added.
According to the striking doctors, increasing the number of doctors risks creating more competition, leading to overtreatment of patients. The government wants to increase the number of admissions by about 2,000 by 2025 and 10,000 by 2035.
The protesters are doctors-in-training who play a vital role in keeping hospitals running. They say the shortage of doctors is not industry-wide, but limited to specific specialties like emergency care.
Medical staff walk at a hospital in Seoul, South Korea, February 19. Photo: Reuters
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol told reporters that the government will not back down from “necessary” reforms, which he said were essential to address the country’s aging population. Earlier this month, the Yoon Suk administration announced plans to increase the national medical school enrollment quota by 65 percent.
"The decision to increase the target does not even reach the level needed to prepare for the country's future," he said.
During a meeting at the Presidential Office, he said that medical interns and medical students are key players in the health sector. He said that they "should not take collective action, taking people's lives and health hostage."
The South Korean public broadly supports increasing medical school admissions quotas, which have not been reformed since 2006. The country has about 2.6 doctors per 1,000 people, lower than the average of 3.7 among countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Park Ki-joo, 65, a resident of the town of Cherwon, said the strike forced him to stay in Seoul overnight to take care of his 9-year-old daughter who was about to undergo neck surgery at a major hospital.
"I don't live here, now I have to find a place to stay. But I'm more worried about my daughter taking a long time to get treatment," he said.
About 76 percent of South Koreans support plans to recruit more medical students amid concerns about a severe shortage of pediatricians, emergency room doctors and doctors in clinics, according to a Gallup Korea survey.
Thuc Linh (According to Reuters, Yonhap, Korea Times )
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