The South Korean government warned on Friday that trainee doctors were putting public health at risk after more than 150 tendered their resignations to protest a government plan to admit more students to medical schools.
The health ministry said it had issued a back-to-work order to the 154 doctors at seven hospitals, warning that refusing to comply will result in punishment.
The government plans to raise medical school admissions by 2,000 students for the 2025 academic year and to add 10,000 doctors by 2035. Currently, about 3,000 students enter medical schools each year.