This year's public health doctors will be put into the field from April 14.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Thursday that new public health doctors will gather at a gathering place in each city and province by next Wednesday, decide on their workplaces until next Thursday, and start working on April 14.

Public health doctors assigned to the Ministry of Unification and the metropolitan emergency situation centers will start work next Wednesday, and those assigned to public health centers and health posts through cities, counties, and districts will decide where to work next Thursday. They will also start work on April 14.

The ministry has replaced the on-the-job education of the new public health doctors with online training.

However, the ministry said it would not apply the rule that mandates public health doctors be forced into active duty if they do not complete the online training so that they would not have problems working even if they do not.

The ministry also stated that it would apply the Military Service Act to deal with public health doctors’ collective action.

According to the Military Service Act, if the number of days of unauthorized departure is within seven days, the service is extended by five times the number of days of departure. If it exceeds eight days, the person is prosecuted and sentenced to up to three years in prison.