South Korean nurses strike after Yoon vetoes bill on pay, working conditions

Nurses and university students majoring in nursing hold up signs that read "Nurse act", during a protest against President Yoon Suk Yeol vetoing a nursing act that defines the roles and responsibilities of nurses, in Seoul, South Korea, May 19, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

SEOUL (Reuters) -Tens of thousands of South Korean nurses went on strike on Friday after President Yoon Suk Yeol vetoed a law to improve their pay and working conditions amid protests from doctors and nursing assistants who said the bill would hurt their jobs.

The bill passed the opposition-led parliament last month, prompting protests from some medical workers who said the new law would open the door for nurses to provide treatment without a medical license.