The short-staffing in the nation’s emergency rooms is not a new problem, Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo said in defending the government’s health care reform plans. 

Park made the remarks at a meeting of the Central Disaster Safety Task Force for Collective Action of Doctors at the Government Complex in Seoul on Thursday, adding that the situation has worsened over the past six months since trainee doctors walked out to protest the proposed reforms.

The central government plans to join forces with local governments to minimize disruptions to emergency services over the Chuseok holiday, which falls September 16 through 18 this year, and will mobilize all available resources, he said.

From September 11 to 25, the head of each local government will manage an emergency situation room and officers will be dispatched to 409 emergency rooms across the country.

Park reiterated earlier calls for the Korean Medical Association to engage in "constructive" discussions on behalf of doctors, saying the government is open to talks if doctors put forth a “reasonable” plan regarding medical school admissions for the 2026 year.