TRAINEE DOCTORS CONTINUE TO CLASH WITH GOV'T

[Anchor Lead]

Trainee doctors are still voicing opposition to a deal reached between the government and the Korea Medical Association on the government's medical reform plans. Interns and residents are most likely decide whether or not to return to work after discussions on Monday.

[Pkg]

Trainee doctors have not yet returned to work, despite the Korea Medical Association's deal with the government and the ruling party last Friday to end its strike and discuss the government's medical reform plans from scratch. Interns and residents are rejecting the agreement, saying they were excluded in the final stage of negotiations. But they held an emergency meeting and decided to put their group action on holdfor the time being.

[Soundbite] PARK JI-HYUN(CHAIR OF YOUNG DOCTORS' EMERGENCY COMMITTEE(SOCIAL MEDIA POST)) : "Although we temporarily halt our group action now, we should raise our voices with anger and desperation and fight to achieve our goals."

The trainee doctors noted the agreement with the ruling party stipulates that discussions on government medical reform plans will be carried out from scratch. They stressed it is more important to ensure that the agreement is strictly fulfilled. An emergency committee of medical professors at Seoul National University Hospital issued a statement showing support for the trainee doctors' decision to return to work. It also underscored its determination to work with the government and parliament t make sure the agreement is implemented in a transparent manner. However, internal conflict is still continuing among trainee doctors. They failed to reach a decision on when to return to work, as some of them took issue with the qualifications of the representatives participating in the emergency meeting. The Korean Intern and Resident Association will reportedly decide on when to return to work at Monday's discussions attended by all trainee doctors. Meanwhile, medical students decided to continue their group action. Representatives of all 40 medical schools across the nation unanimously decided to continue their boycott of the state medical license exam. The test will likely begin tomorrow with most students absent, since the government says it will not postpone the test again.

[Soundbite] SOHN YOUNG-RAE(CENTRAL DISASTERS MANAGEMENT HEADQUARTERS) : "We ask medical students to sign up for the exam until Sunday midnight and avoid possible disadvantages."

The government is trying to estimate the number of medical students taking the exam.