[Initial Perspective] Increasing the Number of Doctors Must Be Judged from the Public's Point of View

The conflict between medical professionals and the government has reignited over the issue of increasing the number of doctors. This comes as the government announced plans to raise the quota for medical school admissions, which is currently capped at 3,058 students. The atmosphere worsened after the Ministry of Health and Welfare released a demand survey for medical school admissions last week. According to the survey, 40 medical schools nationwide hope to increase their freshman intake by between 2,151 and 2,847 students for the 2025 academic year. The medical community is strongly opposed. They have expressed a resolute stance that if the government unilaterally pushes forward with increasing medical school admissions, they are prepared to launch a total strike with the determination of "life is death, death is life" (生卽死 死卽生).

The medical community first carried out a total strike during the 2000 pharmaceutical separation crisis. When the Kim Dae-jung administration attempted to introduce pharmaceutical separation, doctors fought against it for an entire year. Although they failed to stop the policy, the government rewarded them with reductions in medical school admissions and increases in medical fees. Since then, the medical community has repeatedly threatened strikes whenever major issues arose. A similar situation occurred in 2020 when the Moon Jae-in administration pushed to expand medical school admissions by 400 students and introduce a public regional doctor system. Collective doctor walkouts and medical student protests followed, and the government eventually backed down. While medical organizations protected their own interests and the government was led by them, medical crises occurred repeatedly. The public had to endure the suffering.

A similar atmosphere is unfolding this time as well. The medical school quota has remained unchanged for 18 years. However, the medical community strongly opposes increasing the number of doctors. The president of the Korean Medical Association publicly shaved his head to demonstrate his determination to fight. The medical organizations argue that the supply of doctors should be gradually reduced in line with the declining population. Meanwhile, the government’s resolve to expand medical school admissions is firm. It has judged that the issue of public healthcare workforce supply can no longer be neglected. South Korea has 2.6 doctors per 1,000 people (as of 2021), which is significantly lower than the OECD average of 3.7. Regional healthcare systems have long since collapsed. The public’s right to health is under threat. There have been repeated incidents of patients dying after being transferred from emergency rooms due to a shortage of doctors in essential medical fields. Due to a lack of pediatricians, parents are anxiously running around every morning carrying their sick children. University hospitals are in emergency situations because of shortages of residents in specialties such as surgery and pediatrics to assist with operations.

The public also feels the need to increase the number of doctors. According to a survey conducted by the Health and Medical Workers’ Union targeting 1,000 adults aged 19 and over across 17 cities and provinces nationwide, 58.4% of respondents said there is a shortage of doctors. Regarding the expansion of medical school admissions, 66.7% supported it. The medical community’s argument that increasing medical school admissions alone cannot solve the shortage of doctors in essential specialties and regional medical staff has some merit. The reality that doctors tend to concentrate in popular specialties that offer high and stable incomes and relatively comfortable working conditions must also be acknowledged. Along with increasing medical school admissions, the compensation system for doctors, including the fee schedule, must be restructured. Additionally, the medical system, such as the establishment of public medical schools, should be considered together.

How much to increase the supply of doctors should be judged from the public’s perspective. To this end, the government and medical organizations need to communicate more actively. The government should listen carefully to the medical community’s views and pay more attention to strengthening public healthcare. Medical organizations should present alternatives with a responsible attitude that prioritizes public health over collective interests.

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