The South Korean government has given striking trainee doctors until Thursday to end a mass walkout or face suspension and prosecution, as tensions mount over a stand-off that has exposed the country’s demographic challenges.
South Korea’s healthcare system was placed on its highest state of alert last week after thousands of trainee doctors resigned in protest against government plans to increase medical school admissions.
“We urge trainee doctors who have left their workplaces to return by Thursday. If they do, they will not be held accountable for previous actions,” health minister Cho Kyoo-hong told reporters on Tuesday. “Suspending licences and initiating legal proceedings will be unavoidable for those who do not return.”