The Korean Medical Association(KMA) says its members will suspend patient treatment for an indefinite period of time from next Thursday if the government fails to meet its demands. 

The KMA, a major lobby group for doctors, made the announcement when it held a large-scale rally in Yeouido, Seoul on Tuesday, amid its one-day walkout in protest of the government's medical schools quota hike.

At the rally, the association again demanded that the government reconsider the admissions quota hike, revise a policy package on essential medicine and retract all administrative orders against trainee doctors and medical students.

While the KMA had reported to authorities in advance that the rally would see the participation of 20-thousand protesters, police estimated that the demonstration drew between five-thousand and 12-thousand protesters. 

KMA President Lim Hyun-taek said at the rally that the government is seeking to force trainee doctors that have walked out to work against their will while treating them as criminals. 

Lim said that the association will continue to fight what he called “the oppressive government” until it treats doctors as experts and valuable figures that save lives.