A group representing the nation's private practitioners strongly protested the passage of a bill through a parliamentary subcommittee on Tuesday aimed at revising the Nursing Act to legislate physician assistants(PAs).

In a statement on Wednesday, the Korean Medical Association(KMA) said the rival political parties colluded to ensure passage of the "preferential" bill in response to unionized medical workers' threat to launch a strike.

The KMA argued that the revision bill would intensify occupational discord and destroy the ecosystem for trainee doctors, amid prevalence of unlawful and unlicensed medical practice.

The doctors' group warned of dire consequences if a particular occupation is favored in legislation.

On Tuesday, KMA President Lim Hyun-taek threatened to suspend all of its 140-thousand members' medical service, unless the government and parliament halt the enactment efforts.