South Korean doctors chant slogans during a rally on March 3 to protest against government plans to increase medical school admissions in Seoul.
Renowned medical centres in Seoul are overwhelmed by patients, while the rest of the country struggles with a lack of physicians.Mr Jung Seung-pyo, an esophageal cancer patient who lives on Jeju Island, flew to Seoul National University Bundang Hospital for surgery in June 2023. While he is supposed to have check-ups every four weeks, sometimes it takes several months to get an appointment.
While his conservative People Power Party is currently in power, he is trying to flip dozens of seats held by his progressive rivals, led by the Democratic Party, to take control of the national legislature. “Doctors are disappearing at emergency centres, surgery rooms, delivery rooms, and hospitals in smaller cities,” said Prof Cheong in a December report. “Many young doctors gave up becoming fellows at medical colleges and work in the beauty industry.”