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South Korea said it will start taking legal measures against trainee doctors continuing their strike against the government’s plan to increase medical school admissions.
About 70 per cent of the country’s junior and trainee doctors, totalling around 9,000, have been on strike since 20 February, disrupting some medical services and emergency departments.
The government had previously warned these doctors of potential administrative and legal consequences, including the possibility of having their medical licenses suspended, and facing fines or imprisonment if they did not return to work by the end of last month.
“From today, we plan to conduct on-site inspections to confirm trainee doctors who have not returned, and take action according to the law and principle without exception,” health minister Cho Kyoo-hong told a televised briefing.
“Please keep in mind that doctors who have not returned may experience serious problems in their personal career path.”
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