The government called for trainee doctors participating in the prolonged collective action to return to hospitals by the end of the month, pledging to improve their training and working conditions through pilot projects starting in May.

At a press briefing on Thursday, deputy health minister Jun Byung-wang said through various incentives to hospitals, the government will push to limit trainee doctors' training to a maximum 80 hours a week and a limit of 36 consecutive hours on the job. 

The trial run will precede the enforcement of revisions to the law to improve doctors' training and status set for February next year.

From June, the government plans to conduct a survey to gain a comprehensive understanding of the doctors' training environment, while inviting more trainee doctors to participate in a committee tasked with assessing policies concerning them.

The deputy minister also promised to soon extend eligibility for a monthly supplementary training allowance of one million won, or around 743 U.S. dollars, to trainee doctors in delivery and emergency rooms.