The government of South Korea has granted a four-day deadline for young doctors on strike to resume their duties. It was announced on Monday that they will not be penalized if they comply with the deadline, however, they could face legal charges and have their medical licenses suspended if they fail to do so.

Around 9,000 medical interns and residents have been absent from work since the beginning of last week in protest of a government proposal to increase admissions to medical schools by approximately 65%. As a result, their hospitals have been significantly affected, leading to numerous surgeries and other treatments being postponed or cancelled.

According to government officials, increasing the number of doctors is crucial in addressing the aging population of South Korea. The current doctor-to-patient ratio in the country is one of the lowest among developed nations.

The protestors claim that universities are not equipped to accommodate such a large influx of new students. They argue that the proposed plan would not effectively address the long-standing shortage of doctors in critical, yet poorly compensated, fields such as pediatrics and emergency medicine.

During a televised meeting on Monday, Vice Minister of Health Park Min-soo stated that the government will not pursue any consequences against protesting doctors as long as they resume work by Thursday.

Park stated that we would like the individuals to resume their work by the end of February, specifically Feb. 29. As long as they go back to the hospitals they had previously left by this deadline, they will not be held accountable for any harm that may have resulted from their walkouts.

He stated that those who fail to meet the deadline will receive a punishment of at least a three-month suspension of their medical licenses and may also face legal consequences, such as investigations and potential indictments.

According to South Korea’s medical regulations, the government has the authority to mandate doctors and healthcare professionals to return to work in cases of serious threats to public health. Failure to adhere to this order can result in imprisonment for up to three years, a fine of $22,480, and the revocation of medical licenses.

There is an estimated number of 13,000 medical interns and residents in South Korea who are mainly employed at 100 hospitals for their training. Their usual duties include assisting senior physicians during operations and caring for hospitalized patients. These individuals make up approximately 30% to 40% of the total number of doctors in some leading hospitals.

The Korea Medical Association, which speaks on behalf of approximately 140,000 doctors in South Korea, has expressed solidarity with the striking doctors, but has not yet made a decision on whether to join the trainee doctors’ protests. Experienced doctors have organized a number of protests to voice their disagreement with the government’s proposed plan.

In recent news, it was announced that universities will increase their intake of medical students by 2,000 students, beginning next year. This decision comes as part of the government’s plan to have 10,000 more doctors by the year 2035, as the current number of 3,058 students is deemed insufficient.

According to a public poll, approximately 80% of South Koreans support the government’s proposal. Some critics suggest that doctors, who are among the highest-paid occupations in South Korea, may oppose the recruitment plan out of concern for increased competition and decreased income.

Concerns have been expressed by protesting doctors that increased competition may lead to doctors resorting to unnecessary treatments, which would place a strain on public healthcare costs.