The government has ordered all trainee doctors to maintain the provision of medical services as residents at five major hospitals are set to resign en masse in protest of the government's plan to increase the number of students admitted to medical schools starting next year. 

Second vice health minister Park Min-soo said on Monday in a press briefing that the government is issuing the order for trainee doctors at all 221 training hospitals nationwide to continue work as normal, adding it plans to conduct on-site inspections on Monday. 

The vice minister called on trainee doctors to withdraw their plans to resign en masse and walk off the job. 

Park also expressed deep regret and concern over the Korean Medical Association(KMA)'s move to launch a group action, criticizing the KMA for encouraging collective action by trainee doctors. 

The vice minister said that Prime Minister Han Duck-soo had pleaded doctors to refrain from collective action and protect the lives and health of the people in a statement on Sunday, but the KMA dismissed the statement as a threat and warned that if the government tries to punish trainee doctors for taking action based on their free will, there will be a “medical catastrophe.”

Park criticized the KMA’s statement as inhumane and challenging to the people, saying that he can’t believe they are words from doctors who deal with the lives of patients.