Overview

• South Korea's president vows not to back down against protests by doctors over plans to increase medical school admissions, calling their strike a 'grave threat to society'.
• About 12,000 medical interns and residents have been on strike for six weeks, leading to hundreds of canceled surgeries and treatments.
• The government plans to raise the medical school cap by 2,000 to address the physician shortage in rural areas and low-paying medical fields.
• Public surveys show majority support for the government's plan, but the ongoing dispute threatens to impact upcoming parliamentary elections.
• President Yoon urges striking doctors to return to work and remains open to dialogue, while taking steps to potentially suspend the licenses of strikers.