In South Korea, a large number of resident doctors who are on strike are at risk of having their medical licenses suspended. The government is also seeking to involve the police in investigating the organizers of these walkouts, which have caused disruptions in hospital services.

About 9,000 out of 13,000 medical interns and residents in South Korea have been on strike for the past two weeks in opposition to the government’s decision to increase the number of students in medical schools. The government has instructed them to resume work by February 29, claiming that it poses a danger to public health, but the majority have disregarded the warnings of losing their licenses and facing legal consequences.

Authorities recommend that South Korea increase the number of medical professionals to accommodate the rapidly aging population. This will involve increasing yearly enrollment in medical schools by 2,000, which is currently at 3,058, beginning next year. However, numerous doctors express concerns that universities are not prepared for such a sudden influx of students and that it could ultimately harm the country’s healthcare system.

The Health Ministry visited hospitals on Monday to verify the striking doctors’ absence. This was done to start the process of suspending their licenses. Currently, the government has officially declared over 7,000 doctors as absent. On Tuesday, officials continued to inspect hospitals and started sending notifications to some strikers regarding the proceedings to suspend their licenses, as reported by the Health Ministry.

The licenses will be put on hold for a minimum of three months, according to Park. Doctors will have the chance to respond prior to the suspensions being enforced.

Park expressed concern that the trainee doctors have put their patients at risk by abandoning them. She criticized their actions as irresponsible and a betrayal of their professional and ethical obligations, as well as a neglect of their legal responsibilities.

Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo stated at a briefing that they are considering filing complaints with the police against those who are leading the walkouts. However, they have not yet determined when this would happen or who the complaints would be directed towards.

In accordance with the medical legislation in South Korea, physicians who refuse to return to work may face consequences such as a maximum prison sentence of three years and a fine of 30 million won (equivalent to about $22,500). Additionally, they may have their medical licenses suspended for up to one year. Any doctors who are sentenced to prison may also have their licenses revoked.

According to experts, the government is expected to penalize only the leaders of the strike instead of all the striking doctors, which could take several months to fully implement through the necessary procedures of suspending the licenses of all 9,000 doctors on strike.

A junior doctor, who stood out among the others, stated to The Associated Press on Tuesday that he and his colleagues have no plans to go back to work.

“We had only worked to save patients but the government has made us criminals in a moment. Trainee doctors including me were hurt a lot,” said the doctor, who wished to be only identified by his family name, Jeong, because of fears that publicity would earn him stronger punishment.

A different doctor made a statement to the media saying that some doctors may eventually succumb to government pressure and go back to their hospitals, but she will not. However, she expressed concern about potential legal consequences she may encounter.

“The government is holding a briefing every morning, where a high-ranking official whom I can’t even dare to contact comes out and speaks. I don’t have any plans about what to do after my doctor’s license is suspended,” she said, requesting anonymity, citing similar concerns that publicity could make action against her worse.

The junior doctors participating in the strike may be a minority of the 140,000 doctors in the country, but at certain major hospitals, they make up 30-40% of the overall doctor population. They work under the guidance of senior doctors as part of their training.

Several experienced physicians are in favor of the younger doctors, but have not participated in their strikes.

Police in South Korea are currently conducting an investigation into five high-ranking members of the Korea Medical Association. This comes after the Ministry of Health has filed official complaints against them for reportedly encouraging and aiding the junior doctors’ strikes.