South Korean government gives up on increasing medical school admission quotas next year - will the confusion end?

On the 17th of this month, the South Korean government announced that it would restore the 2026 university medical school admission quota to 3,058 students, the previous figure.
The government announced a policy to increase the number of doctors in the medical field, which caused a strong backlash. Trainees left their jobs en masse, and medical students took time off en masse. In addition, the mass exodus of trainees caused the medical field to postpone scheduled surgeries.
The government decided to increase admissions in the 2013 academic year, but by the end of March, medical students who were refusing to take classes had
On the condition that students return to school, the government has indicated that it will return the enrollment quota for the 2014 academic year to the level before the increase. Although 100% of students have not yet returned to school, the government has responded to the request of the university, which has an urgent need to normalize medical education.
The government accepted the proposal, and the plan to increase the number of doctors was effectively scrapped. In South Korea, the shortage of doctors is becoming serious, especially in rural areas.
According to the "Statistics and Implications on Healthcare Human Resources in Major OECD Countries," Korea has 2.3 doctors per 1,000 people, which is lower than the average of OECD member states (3.5), making it the lowest among member states.
In an effort to alleviate the doctor shortage, the South Korean government announced in February last year that it would increase medical school admissions by 2,000 students per year for five years, starting from 2025.
The number of doctors increased to 3,507, but was reduced to 3,058 in 2006, and has remained at 3,058 every year since then. The Yoon administration said, "In order to protect the health and lives of the people, we cannot afford to slow down the expansion of the number of doctors.
The government has called for an increase in staffing levels, calling it a "temporary issue that cannot be ignored." However, the medical community has opposed this policy. The overall number of doctors is sufficient, and the cause of the shortage is said to be surgery and obstetrics.
He pointed out that the problem is a shortage of doctors in so-called "essential medical fields," such as gynecology and pediatrics. These "essential medical fields" tend to be avoided due to the high workload and risk of lawsuits, while the profitable dermatology field is low.
They argued that the concentration of doctors in the fields of surgery, ophthalmology, and cosmetic surgery was ultimately causing a shortage of doctors. As soon as the government's policy was announced, the medical community expressed their intention to protest, with trainees resigning en masse.
This caused delays in regular medical examinations and surgeries, leading to confusion in the medical field. However, the Ministry of Education announced last year that it would suspend all recruitment of medical students for the 2025 academic year.
It was decided that the number of students in the 39 medical schools in the country would increase by 1,497 from the previous year to a total of 4,610. Although the increase in students was smaller than initially planned, it was the first increase in student quota since 1998.
In response to the government's plan to increase the number of students admitted to medical schools, interns quit their jobs en masse to show their intention to protest, and many medical students also rebelled, taking time off school and boycotting classes.
The new semester began in March in South Korea, but initially, students continued to take time off from medical schools at various universities. In March, the government decided to open the doors to medical school admissions for the next academic year on the condition that medical students return to their studies.
The government announced its intention to return the number of students to the level before the increase. Prior to this, the Japan Medical University Association, a consultative body of 40 university presidents with medical schools, said that if the government were to return the number of students to the number before the increase, universities would
In response, almost all students applied to return to school, and as of the 16th of this month, the reinstatement rate for medical students at 40 medical universities was 99.4%.
However, only 25.9% of students are actually attending classes. In this situation, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho announced on the 17th of this month that the 2014 medical school enrollment period will be shortened.
The university announced that it would return the number of students to 3,058, the number of students before the increase. Lee said, "We take seriously the recommendations of the Council of Presidents for the Advancement of Medical Schools, which are responsible for university education, and the Korea Association of Medical Schools and Graduate Schools of Medicine.
"Currently, the attendance rate of medical students is still low, but considering the university's academic calendar and entrance exam schedule, we have decided to confirm the enrollment quota now," he said.
"Today's announcement will settle the social debate over the number of medical school admissions next year, and from now on, everyone will work to normalize medical education and reform the medical system for the future of Korea," Lee said.
"I hope that we can work together to make the best of the situation," he said. The issue of increasing the number of medical school admissions, which had caused great confusion in the Korean medical field, has been scrapped for the time being as the government made concessions.
However, Lee emphasized that "medical reform, including the expansion of medical school admission quotas, remains an important issue." He indicated that the university will carefully consider the admission quotas for the 2027 academic year and beyond.
At present, the return to pre-recruitment levels is only for the 2014 academic year, and does not mean the "cancellation of the policy to increase admissions" as the medical community has been demanding. This is why medical students are continuing their struggle.
That's possible, and it's unclear whether the issue will ever be resolved once and for all.