The strike action by Korean doctors has garnered widespread attention, but the reasons behind it are not as simple as they may appear on the surface.
In fact, this strike is more about defending their high incomes, which far exceed those of other high-income professions such as prosecutors, enabling them to easily afford luxury apartments.
The Korean government has begun to take severe measures against these striking doctors, including revoking licenses.
There has been considerable discussion about the issue of Korean doctors striking in Ah Qiu’s Light Core World as well.
So, just how high are the incomes of Korean doctors in South Korea?
The average annual salary of Korean doctors is as high as 120 million KRW, which is approximately 90,000 USD, while the average annual salary of ordinary Koreans is only 46 million KRW.
To be more specific, the average annual salary of teachers in Seoul is 45 million KRW, a seventh-grade civil servant earns 24 million KRW annually, and even high-ranking prosecutors only earn 90 million KRW annually.
In Korea, a delivery worker who rests four days a month and works over 12 hours a day can earn about 5 million KRW per month.
In contrast, even the most junior resident doctors in Seoul (with 1-3 years of experience) can earn an average annual salary of 90 million KRW, while specialist doctors can earn up to 170 million KRW annually.
The income of top medical experts and doctors in leadership positions at the five major hospitals in Seoul is even more astounding.
Hence, even the lowest-ranking resident doctors earn far more than Korean civil servants and prosecutors.
Despite Korea's high cost of living, doctors still live quite comfortably.
In downtown Seoul near Gwanghwamun, the annual rent for a high-end two-bedroom apartment is 30 million KRW.
Even a first-year resident doctor can easily afford this high rent.
Regarding daily living expenses, Korean doctors face no financial pressure.
Although doctors' incomes are very high, Korea has the lowest number of doctors per capita among developed countries, with only 2.6 doctors per thousand people, and slightly higher in Seoul at 2.73.
Despite the medical crisis and patient deaths resulting from the doctors' strike, the Korean public still supports President Yoon Suk-yeol and firmly demands an increase in the number of medical students to break the doctors' association monopoly.
This is because Korean doctors do not have genuine hardships.
Talking about overtime, Korean civil servants typically work until 10 PM, with low pay and a high workload.
In terms of stress, Korean teachers are bullied by students and parents, sometimes even driven to suicide.
The strike by Korean doctors is not an isolated incident but has deep social roots.
Firstly, Korea's healthcare system has always been highly market-oriented, making doctors' income levels particularly prominent.
Doctors not only have substantial salaries but also numerous additional income sources, including private clinics and consulting fees.
This gives them a high economic status and quality of life in society.
Secondly, the demand for doctors in Korean society is very high, while the number of doctors is relatively insufficient, leading to the coexistence of high income and high pressure for doctors.
Due to the tight medical resources, doctors often have to work overtime, which in turn drives them to seek higher income as compensation.
However, this high income has not altered their motivation to strike; rather, it has become an important reason for them to defend their vested interests.
Additionally, Korean medical policies are constantly changing, which brings considerable pressure on doctors.
In recent years, the government has attempted to alleviate the tight medical resources by increasing the number of medical students and expanding medical service coverage.
However, these measures often meet strong opposition from the doctors' association, as they imply more competition and lower income expectations.
Therefore, doctors strike to express their dissatisfaction with the policies while also protecting their economic interests.
The doctors' strike in Korea also highlights social inequality.
In Korea, although doctors' incomes are high, the incomes of other professions are relatively low.
For example, Korean teachers and civil servants face high work pressure but their incomes are far less than that of doctors, causing widespread controversy and dissatisfaction in society.
The strike by Korean doctors also reveals a deeper issue: the reform of the medical system and the distribution of interests.
The government needs to balance the effective use of medical resources while ensuring fair income distribution among doctors and safeguarding patients' medical rights.
This requires the concerted efforts and negotiations among the government, the doctors' association, and all sectors of society.
In conclusion, the strike by Korean doctors is backed by complex economic, social, and policy factors.
The stark contrast between their high incomes and their strike actions underscores the deep-seated issues in Korea regarding the distribution of medical resources and the disparity in professional incomes.
In the future, balancing doctors' incomes with social equity will be an important issue that Korea needs to address.
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