ⓒYONHAP News

Unionized health care workers called off a strike on Thursday, five hours before they were set to stage a nationwide walkout.

The Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union (KHMU) said it reached an agreement with the Health Ministry early on Thursday in their marathon talks.

The two sides, who held 13 rounds of negotiations since late May, reportedly agreed on the need to avoid strikes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health care workers have made five key demands, including better conditions for nurses, expanding public sector health care resources, drafting the criteria on personnel selection for hospitals treating COVID-19 patients and officializing hazard pay for these workers.

The government is said to have actively accepted the workers' opinions and expressed its intent to review the demands.