Presidential Office: ”We are not criticizing the People's Power representative Han Dong-hoon's proposal to postpone the increase in medical school enrollment, but it is not realistic” (Korea)

On the 28th, the Presidential Office responded to People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon's proposal to postpone the increase in the number of medical school admissions by 2026 by saying, "It's the same as not increasing the number of doctors.
"It is not a realistic option, but it is not realistic," he said. A senior official from the presidential office told reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the same day, "The quota for the 2026 school year will be allocated and made public at the end of April.
"The bill has been announced, and second-year high school students and parents of students taking entrance exams are preparing to achieve that goal. If there is a delay in discussions before the ink dries, it will be difficult for students and parents to accept," he said.
He continued, "As the government has always said, any changes to the scale of the increase in personnel must be discussed and confirmed based on scientific and rational figures and evidence. It must not be decided through compromise.
"We can only reach an agreement if there is consensus among the public that the numbers are reasonable and that they are not based on preconditions," he said.
"In addition, the Korean Medical Association is calling for the dismissal and replacement of those involved," he said. "If they give in to issues that directly affect the lives and health of the people, it will be difficult to make policies.
"We have entered a state of emergency, and it is difficult to call this a normal country," the official said. Regarding the chaos at emergency rooms, the official said, "Emergency rooms are using special measures to ensure that only truly urgent patients can receive prompt treatment.
"We will have to monitor the situation, but I don't think there will be chaos in the emergency room during the mid-autumn celebration."