The government stated it plans to sternly respond to collective action by doctors’ groups as trainee doctors at five major general hospitals in the capital region decided to submit their letters of resignation en masse by Monday.

The health and welfare ministry plans to issue a return-to-work order as soon as doctors’ groups launch any collective action and has said it will revoke their licenses in the event that they fail to comply with the order. 

The Korea Intern Resident Association(KIRA) announced on Friday that trainee doctors at five major Seoul hospitals will submit their letters of resignation en masse by Monday and walk off the job at 6 a.m. Tuesday. 

The government has already produced a plan to respond to these actions by mobilizing every possible means, ordering hospitals not to accept doctors’ resignation letters and banning doctors’ groups from taking group action. 

According to the Medical Service Act, doctors who refuse to comply with the order to return to work can be punished with a suspension of their license for a year, or sentenced to up to three years of prison.