The South Korean government plans to take further action to revoke the licenses of striking junior doctors next week, as they continue to refuse to end their prolonged strikes, causing strain on the country’s medical resources. This information was announced by officials on Thursday.

Over 90% of the nation’s 13,000 medical trainees, including interns and residents, have been participating in a strike for approximately one month in opposition to the government’s proposal to significantly raise the number of medical school admissions. As a result of their strikes, numerous surgeries and medical procedures have been cancelled at hospitals.

Authorities stress the pressing need for an increase in physicians due to the quickly aging population in South Korea. The doctor-to-population ratio in the country is one of the lowest among developed nations. However, medical professionals argue that an abrupt and significant rise in students would strain schools and ultimately harm the quality of healthcare in the country.

The government has been implementing a sequence of administrative actions in order to revoke their licenses due to their failure to return to work by the Feb. 29 deadline set by the government. These actions involve sending officials to officially confirm the absences of striking individuals, notifying them of potential license suspensions, and allowing them opportunities to provide a response.

On Thursday, Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo stated that the government plans to finish the necessary procedures for a portion of the protesting doctors by next week. They will also receive notifications regarding the official decision to revoke their licenses.

Earlier, Park stated that in accordance with the medical laws of South Korea, the protesting doctors could potentially be subjected to suspensions lasting at least three months and potentially even be charged by prosecutors for defying the government’s orders to return to work.

He urged the striking doctors to promptly resume their work, proposing that those who cease their strikes may receive lesser consequences.

Park stressed the urgency of medical professionals returning to work, for the sake of both their patients and their own professional development. She expressed concern over the detrimental effects of extended hospital strikes and reiterated that prompt return to work would be rewarded more favorably than delayed return.

It’s uncertain whether any striking medical professionals will resume work at the final hour. As per Park, none of the protesting doctors who were notified about the potential revocation of their licenses have replied.

Experienced physicians at renowned university medical centers have made plans to tender their resignations next week in solidarity with the junior doctors. However, the majority of them will probably still fulfill their work responsibilities. If they were to cease their duties, it would greatly impact the quality of medical services in South Korea.

Two senior doctors, who lead an emergency doctors’ committee for the walkouts, were recently given government notices that their licenses would be suspended for three months for allegedly inciting the junior doctors’ walkouts.

The striking junior doctors account for less than 10% of South Korea’s 140,000 doctors. But in some major hospitals, they represent about 30%-40% of the doctors, assisting senior doctors during surgeries and dealing with inpatients while training.

The government plans to raise the limit for medical school enrollment in the country by 2,000 beginning next year. The current limit, which has not changed since 2006, is set at 3,058. On Wednesday, the government released a detailed proposal outlining how these 2,000 additional seats will be distributed among universities, indicating that they are committed to their plan.

Government officials state that there is a demand for more physicians in rural regions and in less financially lucrative fields, in an effort to alleviate a longstanding shortage of doctors. However, medical professionals argue that incoming medical students would still prioritize working in highly competitive areas, such as the capital and fields like plastic surgery and dermatology. This, in turn, could lead to unnecessary treatments as doctors vie for patients.

Most surveys suggest that most South Koreans are in favor of the government’s efforts to increase the number of doctors. However, some critics believe that doctors, who already have one of the highest salaries in South Korea, are concerned about potential decreases in their income with the influx of more doctors.