The Justification of Doctors' Strikes: Lessons from Korea's 2024 Medical Dispute

The right to collective action, including striking, is regarded as a fundamental right of workers. However, in the healthcare sector, strikes can cause harm to patients and challenge professional ethics, which raises the question of whether or to what extent strikes in the healthcare sector can be justified. This article addresses this question through a framework first developed by Selemogo and Essex. It examines the conflict between the Korean government and medical community in 2024 are argues that the doctors’ strike during that period was justified by three key factors: (1) the reasons and purpose of the strike; (2) the harms and risks of the strike; and (3) other contextual factors affecting members of society.