Presidential Office: "License Suspension for Non-returning Residents... Possible Medical School Enrollment Adjustment After 5 Years"

Sung Tae-yoon, Chief of Policy Office at the Presidential Office
Photo by Yonhap News

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As medical school professors nationwide have announced plans to submit collective resignation letters starting on the 25th, the Presidential Office stated that there will be no change to the plan to increase medical school admissions by 2,000 students annually from next year, and that the procedure for suspending resident licenses will proceed as scheduled. However, it suggested the possibility of adjusting the number of admissions if necessary after five years, when the total increase reaches 10,000.

Seong Tae-yoon, the Presidential Office Policy Chief, appeared on KBS Sunday Diagnosis on the morning of the 24th and said, "By 2035, there will be a shortage of about 10,000 healthcare workers, and to fill this gap, it is necessary to produce about 2,000 personnel annually."

Seong stated, "After five years, if necessary, we can reconsider the healthcare workforce, but at this moment, there are no plans to change this number."

He explained, "The number of doctors in our country is the second lowest including Korean medicine doctors, and the lowest among OECD countries when excluding them. The actual required number was estimated to be about 3,000, but we thought that accommodating about 2,000 would be feasible and could prevent worsening the current medical situation."

In particular, Seong added that the allocation of medical school student quotas by university next year reflects the government's intention to reduce regional medical disparities by focusing on non-metropolitan areas. He said, "Seoul was not allocated any because the number of doctors per population is close to the OECD average. The number of doctors per 1,000 people in Seoul is 3.61, while the OECD average is 3.7."

On the other hand, he pointed out that the situation in Gyeonggi and Incheon, even though they are part of the metropolitan area, is different. Seong mentioned, "People tend to think that Gyeonggi Province and Incheon are similar to Seoul as they are in the metropolitan area, but the number of doctors per 1,000 people is 1.8 in Gyeonggi and 1.89 in Incheon, which is significantly low, indicating a considerable shortage of doctors." Accordingly, both Gyeonggi and Incheon were allocated quotas, while Seoul was not.

Following the collective resignation of residents, medical school professors nationwide have announced plans to submit collective resignation letters starting on the 25th, and as the government's 'strong against strong' confrontation is expected to peak, the government reaffirmed that there will be no change in its principle-based response stance. The government announced that it will begin suspending licenses this week for residents who do not return despite the work commencement orders.

Seong said, "The government hopes to avoid administrative and judicial sanctions as much as possible," but added, "It is true that we cannot avoid following procedures according to law and principles."

In particular, he expressed concern over the nationwide medical school professors' announcement to submit resignation letters on the 25th in protest against the medical school expansion policy. Seong emphasized, "For residents to return, it would be helpful if professors work even harder in teaching and clinical duties," and stressed, "There must not be any incidents that jeopardize the most important public safety, health, and lives."

Seong added, "It is fortunate that even those submitting resignation letters have said they will continue to provide medical care," and said, "We are reviewing various systems to prepare for any possible situations, making arrangements to ensure smooth emergency medical care, and keeping the dialogue channels open."

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