South Korea slams ‘blacklist’ of doctors who refused to join strike, vows sanctions

South Korea has denounced the online leak of personal details of emergency department doctors who refused to join their striking colleagues as an “inexcusable crime” and pledged to punish those behind the act.

The health ministry said police would investigate a “blacklist” reportedly compiled by doctors and shared on a website that called medical professionals manning emergency rooms “forced labourers” and revealed information including their names and phone numbers.

The file also featured disparaging comments about working doctors and their military counterparts dispatched to civilian hospitals to tide over the staff shortage triggered by a months-long walkout by doctors to protest against the government’s decision to increase medical school admissions.

President Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration says the proposal is aimed at fixing a shortage of doctors in one of the world’s fastest-ageing societies, but junior professionals argue their pay and working conditions need to be improved first.

The strike has caused hundreds of cancelled surgeries and other treatments at hospitals and strained accident and emergency capacity.