The Scale of Medical School Expansion Likely to Be Reduced Next Year... Afternoon Announcement by Prime Minister Han Deok-su

Prospects for Accepting 50-100% Autonomous Recruitment Requests at National Universities
Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting at 2 PM to Review the Agenda
If Accepted, Next Year's Plan to Expand by '2000 Students' Will Be Significantly Reduced

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is answering reporters' questions at the press corps back briefing held on the 17th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is expected to positively review the 'Autonomous Increase Plan for Medical School Quotas by University' at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting on doctors' collective action held on the 19th. If this plan is accepted, the scale of medical school quota expansion next year is expected to be significantly reduced from the current 2,000 students.

According to the government, the CDSCH meeting on doctors' collective action will be held at 2 p.m. on the same day, presided over by Prime Minister Han. The government will also hold a briefing around 3 p.m., ten days after the general election on the 9th, chaired by Prime Minister Han, to announce the plan for expanding medical school quotas.

At the CDSCH meeting, the key agenda is expected to be the 'Autonomous Recruitment of 50-100% of Next Year's Medical School Increased Quotas' proposed by some national university presidents the day before.

A government official said, "Since the national university presidents requested that universities be allowed to autonomously adjust within the range of 50-100% of the increased medical school quotas, this will be discussed as the most important agenda item at the CDSCH. While we cannot predict the conclusion, the atmosphere is positive."

Earlier, the presidents of six national universities?Kangwon National University, Kyungpook National University, Gyeongsang National University, Chungnam National University, Chungbuk National University, and Jeju National University?requested the Ministry of Education the day before, saying, "For the 2025 academic year university admissions, please take necessary measures to allow universities to autonomously recruit new students within 50% to 100% of the increased medical school quotas, considering each university's circumstances."

If these universities recruit only 50% of the increased quotas, the medical school quota for next year will be 4,542 students. This is an increase of 1,484 students compared to the current quota of 3,058. Compared to the government's annual increase of 2,000 students, it is more than 500 students fewer.

Since Prime Minister Han plans to hold a briefing and announce the results in person that afternoon, it is expected that the conflict with the medical community will be resolved by partially accepting the 'Autonomous Increase Plan by University.'

There is also a possibility that the CDSCH meeting will discuss the launch plan of the Presidential Medical Reform Special Committee, a social consultative body to discuss medical reform tasks.

The Medical Reform Special Committee is planned to be launched as early as next week with around 20 members. It will consist of government officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, medical professional organizations such as doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, and patient groups. The Korea Intern Resident Association (KIRA) and the Korean Medical Association (KMA), which are currently engaged in collective action opposing the government's medical reform, have not yet decided whether to participate.

Medical staff are moving at a university hospital in Seoul on the 15th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

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