Tens of thousands of South Korean nurses went on strike on Friday (May 19) after President Yoon Suk Yeol vetoed a law to improve their pay and working conditions.

The bill passed the opposition-led parliament last month, prompting protests from some from doctors and nursing assistants who said the new law would open the door for nurses to provide treatment without a medical license.

Nurses say that the doctors’ claim is groundless, and that the country needs more care centres to cope with its rapidly aging population.

In vetoing the bill, Yoon said that the new law caused excessive conflict among medical workers, and that nursing practices outside medical institutions would cause public anxiety over the healthcare system.

The Korean Nurses Association, which led the walkout, strongly denounced Yoon, saying he abandoned his promise as a presidential candidate to improve nurses’ working conditions.

“I have been working as a nurse for more than 20 years. Even though the working conditions have improved compared to the past, we are still doing the jobs beyond our scope without being projected by the law,” said An Mi-jung, one of the nurses at the mass rally held in Seoul’s bustling Gwanghwamun district.

The impact of the strike was seen as limited so far, as most protesters used holiday time or shortened business hours, with major hospitals operating normally.