South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol instructed Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Sunday to seek a flexible solution regarding the impending license suspension of trainee doctors who continue to protest against the government’s decision to expand medical school admission quotas next year by refusing to work. The move comes after ruling People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon requested the government to handle the matter flexibly following a meeting with the Korean Medical Professors Association.

Yoon’s instructions signal a potential postponement of the license suspensions, which were set to begin on March 26. The development has also opens up the possibility for medical school professors, who had planned to collectively resign in protest, to reconsider their decision.

Why It Matters

The protests by trainee doctors in South Korea have been ongoing for weeks, with the government taking measures such as transferring patients to military hospitals to mitigate the impact on the healthcare system. Despite the public largely siding with the government’s stance, politicians across the political spectrum have called for a compromise to resolve the issue.

With the general elections scheduled for April 10, the government’s handling of the trainee doctor protests could have implications for the ruling party’s performance at the polls. As the election draws closer, the pressure to find a resolution that satisfies the medical community and the public will likely intensify.