An association of trainee doctors is set to discuss actions against the government's planned hike in the enrollment quota for medical schools.

The Korean Intern Resident Association said on Sunday that it will hold an extraordinary plenary session virtually on Monday to discuss measures, including collective action, to respond to the government's plan.

Earlier, trainee doctors at five major general hospitals, including Seoul National University Hospital and Severance Hospital, agreed to participate in a general strike through a survey.

The Korean Medical Association (KMA), which decided to establish an emergency response committee last week, plans to appoint an interim leader as soon as possible and discuss when and how to launch a strike.

The Health Ministry warned of stern responses to collective action, issuing orders to prohibit hospitals from accepting en masse resignations by doctors while raising the national health crisis level to alert, the third highest in the four-tier warning system, in connection with the potential strike.

The KMA hinted at a possible nationwide strike after the Lunar New Year holiday upon the government's announcement last Tuesday that it will raise the medical school admissions quota by two-thousand in 2025 to five-thousand-58.