FILE - Doctors stage a rally against the government's medical policy in Seoul, South Korea, on March 3, 2024. South Korean authorities have suspended the licenses of two senior doctors for allegedly inciting the weekslong walkouts by medical interns and residents that disrupted hospital operations across the country. That's according to one of the doctors who spoke to The Associated Press. The suspensions are the government’s first punitive step against physicians after thousands of doctors-in-training walked off the job last month to protest the government’s plan to sharply increase medical school admissions. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)
FILE – Doctors stage a rally against the government's medical policy in Seoul, South Korea, on March 3, 2024. South Korean authorities have suspended the licenses of two senior doctors for allegedly inciting the weekslong walkouts by medical interns and residents that disrupted hospital operations across the country. That's according to one of the doctors who spoke to The Associated Press. The suspensions are the government’s first punitive step against physicians after thousands of doctors-in-training walked off the job last month to protest the government’s plan to sharply increase medical school admissions. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s government says it will start suspending the licenses of striking junior doctors next week.

Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo made the comments during a briefing Thursday as he repeated demands for the doctors to return to work immediately.

More than 90% of the country’s 13,000 doctors-in-training have been on strike for about a month to protest the government’s plan to sharply increase medical school admissions.

Their strikes have caused hundreds of cancelled surgeries and other treatments at hospitals.

Members of the Gyeonggi Province Medical Association stage a rally against the government's medical policy near the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. South Korea's government criticized senior doctors at a major hospital Tuesday for threatening to resign in support of the weekslong walkouts by thousands of medical interns and residents that have disrupted hospital operations. The banners read "Stop President Yoon Suk Yeol government's medical policy." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Members of the Gyeonggi Province Medical Association stage a rally against the government's medical policy near the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. South Korea's government criticized senior doctors at a major hospital Tuesday for threatening to resign in support of the weekslong walkouts by thousands of medical interns and residents that have disrupted hospital operations. The banners read "Stop President Yoon Suk Yeol government's medical policy." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)