ARIRANG NEWS 20:00 KMA doctors start one-day strike Monday

Title: KMA doctors start one-day strike Monday Thousands of doctors in Korea took part in a one-day strike this Monday... in protest of a government plan... to enact reforms in the medical sector. In turn..., the government has vowed to deal sternly with the walk-out. Kwon Soa has more on the doctors' first collective medical suspension in 14 years. A one-day strike led by the Korean Medical Association began earlier this Monday morning and ended at 6 p.m. "Doctors refused to provide medical services, and many hospitals across the nation were closed." The government ordered doctors to return to work immediately. The health ministry's estimates say that 29 percent of doctors nationwide participated in Monday's walk-out, while the medical association puts the figure at 47 percent. Despite the discrepancy,... both figures are lower than the 77 percent of doctors who voted in favor of the strike. President Park Geun-hye has reiterated the government's vow to take legal measures against striking doctors, including a 15-day business suspension. "Acts that harm the people must be strictly dealt with according to the law and principle." "It's regrettable that we had to make the extreme decision of closing hospitals and not treating patients. I am resentful toward the government." The KMA's strike was called in protest of a government plan to introduce a telemedicine system that would allow for patients in remote areas to be diagnosed via webcam, smartphone, or even email. KMA doctors say it will impair the quality of medical services. The medical association is also up in arms over a government move to run for-profit subsidiaries. While the government says it will improve the nation's medical industry, the KMA says it will only lead to a hike in medical bills. Doctors are concerned the reforms could eventually lead to privatization of the medical sector. Following Monday's walk-out, the strike will transition to a work-to-rule action starting Tuesday and running through March 23rd, meaning doctors won't work more than 40 hours a week, and will treat patients for no longer than 15 minutes. A full six-day strike is then planned to begin on the 24th, which, unlike today's action, could also include the closing of emergency rooms and intensive care centers. The medical strike stands to be the largest in 14 years, and with negotiations between both sides at a stalemate, some fear it will continue for the long term. Kwon Soa, Arirang News. Title: Government to levy heavier penalties for personal data leaks Following a series of security breaches by financial institutions in the country..., that affected tens of millions of people here in Korea... the government has unveiled a set of preventive measures. From tougher punitive actions... to improvement in the data management system... our Laah Hyun-kyung has the details. From the latter half of this year,... financial institutions will only be able to ask for customers' resident registration numbers... at the initial, application stage. After that, people will not be asked to provide their registration numbers... but instead be asked to verify their identity through other, safer means. The registration numbers have been at the center of a recent series of high-level personal information security breaches,... and toughening their use is a key part of a package unveiled by the government on Monday to fight widespread leaks of personal data. Financial institutions will also not be allowed to keep collected information for more than five years... after the final transaction. "Apart from the information that's absolutely necessary, all other data that the financial institution either has or has provided to a third party will be destroyed. The police and the prosecution will jointly and indefinitely crack down on breaches."