SOUTH Korea’s government threatened thousands of striking doctors with legal action today if they don’t to return to work immediately.

About 7,800 junior doctors have withdrawn their labour this week in protest against a government plan to recruit more medical students before universities are ready to provide quality education to the increased numbers.

With South Korea’s population rapidly ageing, officials say they want to increase the medical school admissions cap by 2,000 from next year.

The doctors’ unions also argue, however, that the government’s push to increase the number of medics will lead to increased public medical expenses because physicians locked in competition could perform unnecessary treatments.

The target of 2,000 additional admissions “is a nonsensical figure,” the Korean Intern Residents Association said in a statement on Tuesday.

“We hope the government will rethink its plan and formulate a policy that reflects the voices of trainee doctors.”

Their joint walkouts have caused delays to surgery and cancellations of other hospital treatments.

Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang Min told a news conference that the government had issued an order for the strikers to return to work and that it would deal sternly with the industrial action.

South Korea’s medical law allows the government to issue such back-to-work orders to doctors and other health workers when there are grave concerns about public health.

If they refuse to obey, they could face up to three years in prison or 30 million won (£17,800) in fines, a punishment that would also lead to the revocation of their medical licences.

Justice Minister Park Sung Jae accused some doctors of seeking to protect “their vested interests.” He said that if they refused to return to work, authorities would file legal charges against them and arrest others who had led the walkouts.

Trainee doctors said the return-to-work order was intimidation and must be withdrawn immediately.

The Korea Medical Association, which represents 140,000 doctors, said it supported the strikes but had not decided whether to join them.

Spokesman Joo Sooho accused the government of “demonising doctors,” telling reporters: “We strongly condemn the government for holding the people hostage and suppressing doctors.”

To deal with the walkouts, the government has opened military hospitals to the public, extended the operating hours of public medical institutions and had emergency medical treatment centres stay open around the clock.