President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Tuesday that the government has no choice but to take strict action against the illegal acts of abandoning patients by doctors.

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, Yoon said that doctors are illegally refusing to provide medical service in a walkout led by the Korean Medical Association(KMA) following a collective suspension of treatment by some medical professors. 

Yoon reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to medical reform aimed at improving regional and essential medical services and fundamentally innovating the country’s medical system. 

The president also urged trainee doctors and medical students to return to their duties and studies, assuring them that the government will offer the necessary support.

Yoon added that the government is willing to listen and find a solution together if they return to work and present their opinions.