Anchor: While the government and medical professors seemingly agreed to seek dialogue on the ongoing trainee doctors' collective action, with President Yoon Suk Yeol calling for leniency regarding doctors' license suspensions, it remains uncertain whether talks will actually take place. Both the government and professors are adamant in their respective stances on the medical school admissions quota hike.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday called for leniency towards trainee doctors as he ordered Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to consult with the ruling People Power Party(PPP) to seek “flexibility” in handling the suspension of medical licenses amid trainee doctors’ prolonged collective action.

According to the presidential office, Yoon also asked the prime minister to form a "constructive consultative body" to seek dialogue with the doctors.

The apparent pivot from the administration's hardline stance on suspending doctors' licenses comes at the request of PPP interim leader Han Dong-hoon, who on Sunday met with representatives from the Medical Professors Association of Korea.

On Monday, health minister Cho Kyoo-hong welcomed the professors' intent to engage in talks, saying related ministries have immediately begun working-level preparations for dialogue to open as early as possible.

Pledging to consult with the PPP on ways to exercise the flexible handling of license suspensions, the minister, however, said the government will not withdraw from the planned quota hike of two-thousand.

While positively assessing the new consultative body, the professors' group, however, said on Monday that there could be no resolution without the government's withdrawal of the quota hike.

The professors said they will begin submitting their voluntary resignations on Monday, as previously planned. While they wait for their resignations to be accepted, they will also reduce their working time to 52 hours a week in the prolonged absence of trainee doctors. 

As for trainee doctors who have violated the state return-to-work order, Monday is the deadline for submission of opinions regarding the government's license suspension notice.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.