The government has designated the weeks before and after the Chuseok holidays as “emergency response weeks” and will drastically increase the fees of emergency room(ER) doctors during that period. 

Health minister Cho Kyoo-hong said in a government response meeting on the collective action taken by trainee doctors on Wednesday that the government will designate the period between September 11 and 25 as “emergency response weeks” to prevent disruptions in treating emergency patients during the Chuseok holidays which will run from September 16 to 18. 

The government will also sharply raise the fees of ER doctors who work during the designated period by up to 250 percent, or up 100 percentage points from the existing increase of 150 percent. 

Cho added that the government will expand support in terms of labor costs so that regional emergency medical centers can secure enough personnel to ensure stable operations.

The minister also vowed to provide substitute workers, including military doctors, to medical institutions that are in dire need of personnel support.