South Korea’s government announced on Monday that it had launched a process to suspend the licenses of more than 4,900 young doctors who stopped working in protest against medical research reforms, AFP reported.

The government is “sending administrative notices to 4,900 trainee doctors who ignored orders to return to work,” Health Ministry spokesman Chun Byung-wan told reporters.

These formal notices are the first step toward a three-month administrative suspension. The sanction, which, according to the government, will delay the opportunity for these trainees to obtain medical qualifications for at least a year.

Thousands of interns have walked off the job since February 20 to protest the government’s plan to increase medical school admissions by 65% ​​from next year.

As of Monday, about 12,000 interns, or 93% of the total, were still absent from their posts, according to the latest official figures.

Under South Korean law, doctors, who are considered essential workers, cannot strike. The government gave protesters until February 29 to return to work and ordered a police investigation into the mobilization.

This prolonged shutdown has disrupted hospitals, forcing them to cancel important procedures and surgeries.

The South Korean government considers it necessary to increase the number of doctors to cope with the aging population.

Striking doctors claim that the reform will affect the quality of service.

But supporters of the project say that doctors are most worried about the impact the reform could have on their incomes and social status.

According to a recent poll conducted by the Gallup Institute in South Korea, more than 75% of people surveyed support the reform.