PHOTOS: More doctors rally against medical reform plans, threaten further strikes

SEOUL, June 19 (AJU PRESS) - Thousands of doctors from private clinics gathered for a massive rally in Yeouido, Seoul on Tuesday, protesting against the government's radical medical reform plans to increase admission quotas at medical schools.

Organized by the Korean Medical Association (KMA), the rally was held amid the ongoing protest by trainee doctors at university hospitals, further disrupting medical care for patients.

At the rally, the KMA threatened an indefinite strike next week, if the government fails to address the current healthcare crisis with substantial solutions.

KMA chairman Lim Hyun-taek urged the government to reconsider its plans and withdraw any penalties and punitive actions imposed on striking doctors.

Doctors at the rally expressed concerns through placards, arguing that simply increasing admissions without proper preparations would "lower the quality of medical education." They also criticized the plans, claiming that they would cripple essential medical services.

Protesters hold signs and chant slogans at a rally in Yeouido, Seoul on June 18, 2024. AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo

Lim Hyun-taek, chairman of the Korean Medical Association, speaks at a rally in Yeouido, Seoul on June 18, 2024. AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo

Protesters hold signs and chant slogans at a rally in Yeouido, Seoul on June 18, 2024. AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo

A protester wears a mask against the government's medical reform plans at a rally in Yeouido, Seoul on June 18, 2024. AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo

Protestors hold banners at a rally in Yeouido, Seoul on June 18, 2024. AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo

Police block the streets as about 10,000 protesters gather at a rally in Yeouido, Seoul on June 18, 2024. AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo

A protester holds a picket at a rally held in Yeouido, Seoul on June 18, 2024. AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo

About 10,000 protesters gather for a rally in Yeouido, Seoul on June 18, 2024. AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo

Kim Dong-woo dong@ajupress.com