The Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union (KHMU), comprising approximately 45,000 nurses and caregivers from 140 medical institutions across the country, launched a nationwide strike on Thursday. The strike, the first by the group in 19 years and the largest to date, is in response to the government’s alleged failure to fulfill a 2021 agreement to hire more medical personnel and improve their working conditions. The union’s demands include an expansion in the number of medical personnel, the establishment of standards for adequate workforce levels for each occupation and fair compensation for medical workers who served during the COVID-19 pandemic. The KHMU, which is associated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), a militant umbrella union, is striking at the same time as when the KCTU is staging a separate two-week general strike.

The South Korean government has criticized the strike, with second vice minister of health Park Min-soo stating that the union should negotiate with their management, not demand government policy changes. Park has also warned that the government might invoke Article 59 of the Medical Service Act, which allows the Minister of Health and Welfare to order medical workers to return to work if their absence is likely to cause significant difficulties in providing medical treatment to patients.