Yeo "Welcomes Yoon Government's Medical School Quota Expansion... Public Medical Schools and Regional Doctor System Should Be Promoted Together"

Jeonnam Region Opposition Lawmakers "Medical School Must Be Established in Jeonnam"
Democratic Party Demands Concurrent Establishment of Public Medical School and Introduction of Regional Doctor System

The Democratic Party of Korea expressed its welcome on the 17th to the government's plan to expand the quota for medical schools. However, it also stated that the establishment of public medical schools and the introduction of a regional doctor system to resolve regional imbalances and secure essential personnel should be pursued alongside the expansion of medical school quotas, making confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties inevitable.

Kim Seong-ju, the senior deputy chairman of the Democratic Party, said at the National Assembly's main building in Yeouido, Seoul, during a national audit countermeasure meeting on the morning of the same day, "We welcome the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's move to expand medical school quotas," adding, "I hope the government will engage in policy consultations for the people, as both ruling and opposition parties support the good policy announced by the government."

Kim Sung-joo, Senior Deputy Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea [Photo by Yonhap News]

He mentioned the number of doctors in Japan and the United Kingdom, saying, "Especially pediatricians, obstetricians and gynecologists, thoracic surgeons, and emergency doctors are absolutely insufficient, and since there are no excellent doctors and hospitals in the regions, patients take the KTX every dawn to come to Seoul."

The Democratic Party demanded that the establishment of public medical schools and the introduction of a regional doctor system be pursued in parallel with the government's and ruling party's expansion of medical school quotas. Senior Deputy Chairman Kim emphasized, "If the medical school quota is expanded without establishing public medical schools and introducing the regional doctor system, it is obvious that it will result in the concentration of doctors in the metropolitan area, the proliferation of local private practitioners, and an increase in cosmetic and plastic surgeons," adding, "The Democratic Party has continuously demanded a shift in the Yoon administration's national policy direction."

Democratic Party lawmakers from the Jeonnam region also advocated for the establishment of a medical school in Jeollanam-do and the introduction of the regional doctor system. Ten Democratic Party lawmakers, including Kim Seung-nam, Kim Won-i, and Kim Hoe-jae, held a press conference that day, stating, "The number of doctors per 1,000 people in Jeonnam is 1.7, which is significantly lower than the OECD average of 3.7 and the South Korean average of 2.5," adding, "Despite this, the medical school quota in Jeonnam is zero." Currently, Jeonnam is the only region without a medical school.

They argued, "The expansion of medical school quotas is not simply to increase the number of doctors but to expand the insufficient essential and public medical care infrastructure and to revive regional medical care that is on the brink of collapse," adding, "Therefore, the expansion of medical school quotas must be pursued in parallel with the establishment of a medical school in the Jeonnam region, which lacks a medical school, and the introduction of the regional doctor system."

Previously, the Moon Jae-in administration attempted in 2020 to expand medical school quotas by 4,000 over ten years, but the plan was thwarted by collective opposition from doctors. President Yoon Seok-yeol also promised this during his candidacy, but progress has been sluggish due to strong opposition from the medical community and the Ministry of Health and Welfare's negative stance.

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