S. Korea's president vows not to tolerate walkouts by junior doctors

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a cabinet meeting at the government complex in Sejong, South Korea, on March 6, 2024. - Yonhap via AP

SEOUL: South Korea's president vowed Wednesday (March 6) not to tolerate the prolonged walkouts by thousands of junior doctors, calling them "an illegal collective action” that threatens public health and shakes the country’s governing systems.

President Yoon Suk-yeol’s government was in the process of suspending the licences of about 9,000 medical interns and residents over their joint walkouts that have impacted hospitals' capacity to provide care.