Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong speaks during a meeting held in Seoul on Sunday. (Yonhap)

Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said Monday the government will take lenient measures if trainee doctors return to work before administrative procedures to suspend their licenses are completed, although they defied a deadline to avoid punitive steps.

Cho made the remark as some 93 percent of the 13,000 junior doctors have been absent from their worksites for three weeks, in a prolonged labor action against the government's proposal to increase medical school enrollments by 2,000 next year.

"As we plan to proactively extend leniency to junior doctors who return before the conclusion of administrative procedures, we encourage their prompt comeback," Cho told a KBS radio.

"The government is currently sending notifications for junior doctors confirmed to have departed from their worksites following on-site investigations," Cho said.

The government has been sending documents to junior doctors on leave ordering their return, while warning that those who fail to comply will face consequences, including a suspension of their license for at least three months.

Local hospitals have been experiencing cancellations and delays in surgeries and emergency medical treatment, as medical interns and residents remained silent to the government's call for them to return by the end of February.

To make up for the shortage of medical staff, the government on Monday began deploying 158 military and public health doctors to local hospitals for a four-week period.

Last week, the health ministry also allowed nurses to perform some roles of doctors, including CPR.

"When necessary, the government plans to deploy more military and public health doctors, along with more state health insurance funds," Cho said.

Cho also warned of taking stern actions on alleged online bullying targeting doctors remaining on duty by those on leave, noting the ministry has requested the police to investigate the matter.

The government has been pushing to increase physician numbers as a way to resolve the shortage of doctors in rural areas and essential medical fields, such as pediatrics and neurosurgery, and also given the super-aging population.

Doctors say the quota hikes will undermine the quality of medical education and other services, and result in higher medical costs for patients. They have called for measures to first address the underpaid specialists and improve the legal protection against excessive medical malpractice lawsuits. (Yonhap)