SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Senior doctors at major hospitals in South Korea began submitting their resignations en masse Monday in support of medical interns and residents who have been on a strike for five weeks over the government’s push to sharply increase medical school admissions.

The actions of senior doctors in South Korea are not expected to immediately worsen hospital operations, as they have stated their intention to continue working despite submitting their resignations. However, the chances of resolving the ongoing conflict in the medical field appear low, as the senior doctors’ upcoming actions follow President Yoon Suk Yeol’s call for negotiations and a potential reduction in punishments for the junior doctors on strike.

Approximately 12,000 interns and medical residents are at risk of having their licenses suspended due to their refusal to cease their strikes. As a result, hundreds of surgeries and other medical procedures have had to be cancelled at their hospitals.

The critics are against the proposal of increasing the maximum number of admissions for medical schools in the country by 66%, as they believe the schools are not equipped to handle such a sudden influx of students. They argue that this would eventually have a negative impact on South Korea’s healthcare services. However, government officials argue that there is a pressing need for more doctors due to the rapidly aging population in South Korea and their doctor-to-population ratio is one of the lowest among developed countries.

During a meeting on Sunday, Han Dong-hoon, leader of the ruling party, met with representatives of around 40 university hospitals to discuss the ongoing strike by junior doctors. The medical professors and doctors expressed their support for the striking doctors and voiced concern that the government’s recruitment plan could potentially harm the country’s medical system. Kim Chang-soo, head of the emergency committee at these universities, made this statement on Monday.

Kim acknowledged that Yoon’s proposal was a step in the right direction, however, he stated that the ongoing dispute between physicians and the government will persist unless the government retracts its recruitment strategy.

According to him, university doctors were instructed to adhere to previous arrangements of voluntarily submitting resignations and reducing their work hours to a maximum of 52 hours per week. It has been noted that experienced doctors have been struggling with overwhelming workloads due to the departure of their junior colleagues.

Kim stated that if the government shows a desire to cancel or reevaluate their plan, they are prepared to address any unresolved matters with the government prior to making it public.

On Monday, a group of senior doctors submitted their resignations, according to doctors who participated in the protests. It was reported that some doctors had already resigned the previous week.

Following the Sunday gathering, Han requested that Yoon’s team approach the matter of scheduled license suspensions for protesting physicians with flexibility. Yoon subsequently urged his prime minister to explore a flexible course of action in order to find a resolution for the disagreement and engage in productive discussions with the doctors, as stated by Yoon’s office.

It is not clear when the government and doctors will meet to discuss and make progress. Some speculate that the government’s decision to reduce penalties for striking doctors and initiate conversations with them is connected to the upcoming parliamentary elections. Additional interruptions to hospital services would not benefit candidates from the ruling party.

“The junior doctors on strike comprise less than 10% of South Korea’s 140,000 total doctors. However, in certain large hospitals, they make up 30% to 40% of the medical staff, aiding senior doctors during operations and tending to hospitalized patients while also receiving training.”

The government’s efforts to increase the number of doctors in South Korea has received support from the majority of citizens, according to public surveys. However, critics argue that this could potentially lead to lower incomes for doctors, who currently hold one of the highest-paid positions in South Korea.

Authorities report that there is a pressing need for additional medical professionals to address the ongoing deficiency of physicians in rural regions and in vital yet underpaid fields. However, medical experts argue that newly hired students may also pursue employment opportunities in major cities and lucrative specialties such as plastic surgery and dermatology. They caution that the proposed government initiative could potentially lead to an increase in unnecessary medical procedures due to heightened competition.