Government Decides to Postpone Medical Licensing Exam by One Week... Leaves Room for Dialogue Between Medical and Government Officials (Comprehensive)

Ministry of Health and Welfare: "Practical National Medical Exam Scheduled for One Day to be Implemented from the 8th"
Concerns Over Public Inconvenience if Doctor Supply Disrupted Amid Medical Community's Postponement Request

Kim Kang-lip, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, is announcing the one-week postponement of the national medical licensing practical exam at the briefing room of the Government Seoul Office on the 31st.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The practical exam for the medical licensing examination, originally scheduled for the 1st of next month, will be postponed by one week. This decision was made based on the judgment that if a large number of students either collectively express their intention to cancel or have uncertain attendance, it could cause problems for the public in accessing hospital services in the future. Had the exam proceeded as planned, many students would have been adversely affected, likely escalating conflicts between the medical community and the government.

Kim Kang-lip, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, stated on the 31st, "The exam date will be postponed by one week, so those scheduled to take the exam on September 1 will now take it on the 8th, and those scheduled for the 2nd will take it on the 9th. Students who had previously canceled their exam registration can reapply to take the exam."

Medical associations have opposed the government’s health care policies, leading to collective actions such as taking leaves of absence or canceling the practical exam en masse at medical schools and graduate medical schools. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, out of 3,172 examinees, 2,839 (89.5%) have indicated they will not participate in the exam starting tomorrow. The medical licensing exam is the first step after completing studies to become a practicing physician, and if about 9 out of 10 students do not take the exam, it is highly likely to disrupt the supply of medical personnel.

On the 24th, in front of Chung-Ang University Hospital in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, officials involved in the 'Young Doctors Collective Action' led by the Korean Intern Resident Association are urging for a reconsideration of the medical school quota expansion. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Differences in Opinions Between Medical Community and Government Over Health Care Policies Remain Unresolved
Government: "One-Week Postponement is an Exceptional Decision... Additional Measures or Further Postponements Are Difficult"

Vice Minister Kim said, "Several deans and professors from medical schools, as well as senior figures in the broader medical community, requested the postponement of the medical licensing practical exam scheduled to start on the 1st. There was insufficient time to accurately confirm the intention to cancel the exam, raising concerns about unnecessary harm to the futures of many students." He added, "We also considered that such issues could affect hospital treatment capabilities and the public’s access to medical services."

Initially, the government insisted on proceeding with the exam as scheduled, which is to be conducted sequentially from the 1st of the month through late October. Despite ongoing discussions with medical organizations such as the Korean Medical Association and the Resident Doctors Association failing to reach common ground, and despite a movement among medical students to boycott the exam, the government maintained its stance to hold the exam as planned since some students had already expressed their intention to participate. However, fearing strong backlash from medical organizations like the Korean Medical Association, the government appeared to take a step back.

Even if a majority of medical students maintain their refusal to take the exam until before September 8, the possibility of further postponement is low. Vice Minister Kim stated, "This decision is very exceptional. This practical exam postponement reflects the concerns and various proposals from multiple medical school professors, deans, and senior medical figures, and it was a difficult decision for the government under the circumstances." He added, "At this point, it is difficult to consider additional measures or further postponements."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.