Presidential Office: "No Change in Medical Reform Stance After General Election"

Refuting Allegations of General Election Vote Manipulation
"New Medical School in Jeonnam Separate from Medical School Expansion Personnel"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the 20th "Public Discussion on Livelihoods with the People" held on the 14th at Jeonnam Provincial Office in Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do, under the theme "Jeonnam Leaping Forward Vigorously with Future Industries and Culture."
[Image source=Yonhap News]

A senior official from the Presidential Office stated in a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 15th, "There will absolutely be no change in the government's stance on medical reform even after the April 10 general election." The official directly refuted suspicions from some in the medical community that the medical reform, led by the increase of 2,000 medical school admissions, is a move to gain votes ahead of the election.

In particular, the official emphasized that medical reform is never a subject of political strife. The official said, "The medical community's suggestion to reconsider the decision to increase medical school admissions after one year is equivalent to saying that medical reform should not be carried out," adding, "Such a thing cannot happen. A significant portion of the increased personnel will be assigned outside the metropolitan area to reduce the concentration in Seoul's 'Big 5' hospitals and to address regional medical disparities."

The Presidential Office official said, "The retention rate of those who graduated from medical schools in their respective regions is very high, reaching up to 80%," and added, "Since the rate of staying in the region is high, assignments will be made mainly based on the region, and work will proceed according to that principle." The official also explained, "The assignment principle remains the same as before," stating, "Assignments will primarily be made to provincial areas, with small-scale universities as the basic principle." The plan is to concentrate the increased personnel in small regional medical schools to enhance the competitiveness of base university medical schools while increasing the number of regional doctors to strengthen local healthcare.

The official explained, "Among the 40 medical schools nationwide, 17 have an admission quota of fewer than 50 students," and added, "These 17 medical schools are so small that it is hard to call them universities, and the increase will be centered on these small-scale medical schools."

Regarding President Yoon Suk-yeol's remark at the public discussion on livelihood held in Muan, Jeollanam-do, the previous day, that "If Jeollanam-do gathers opinions on which university should establish a medical school, we will proceed," the official said, "This is a positive signal for the establishment of new medical schools," adding, "In the case of Jeollanam-do, since it is about establishing a new medical school rather than increasing admissions, it may be separate from the existing plan to increase medical school admissions by 2,000."