Some 45,000 nurses, caregivers and other members of the Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union (KHMU) across the country launched a general strike, Thursday, criticizing the government for failing to fulfill a 2021 agreement to hire more medical personnel and improve their working conditions. The union vowed to exclude essential workers at emergency and operating rooms, intensive care units, delivery rooms and newborn units from its sit-in protest, in order to minimize confusion. But disruptions to medical services, including cancelations of surgeries, have already occurred at several hospitals, including the National Cancer Center.