Hundreds of unionized workers at a major university hospital in Seoul will begin an indefinite strike this week in protest of a government push to privatize medical services, the union said Tuesday.

The strike, which follows two rounds of similar strikes in June and July, will begin on Wednesday, involving about 300 to 400 of the Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) union's 1,500 members, it said.

But the strike will exclude those working in intensive-care and emergency rooms and other essential staff at the hospital, it added.

"The government is still pressing ahead with its drive for privatizing medical services," the union said. "Even though it's a public hospital, the SNUH is standing at the forefront of such a government drive by establishing a profit-oriented subsidiary and an advanced outpatient clinical center."

In June, the government announced a plan to enact a bill allowing hospitals to set up subsidiaries for running tourism, hot-springs resorts and hotels with outside investment and pursue profits through them. (Yonhap)