The health and welfare ministry said Thursday that it will fully expand telemedicine services and mobilize physician assistants if trainee doctors launch a walkout in protest of a plan to expand the medical school admissions quota. 

Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo unveiled the plan on a local radio program, adding that it will also utilize military and public hospitals to maintain emergency medical services. 

Regarding the Korea Intern Resident Association president Park Dan’s plan to step down from his role as a resident doctor and as the association’s chief, the vice minister said that if similar resignations follow and cause disruptions to medical services, it could be considered collective action. 

The vice minister stressed that hospitals should not accept resignations from doctors if they are deemed to be collective action, noting that the government has already ordered hospitals not to accept mass resignations.