Ahn Cheol-soo: "Increasing Medical School Quotas by 2,000 Must Not Be Done Haphazardly"

"The top priority is to prevent the sacrifices and damages of the people"

Amid the government's firm stance on increasing medical school admissions by 2,000 students, Ahn Cheol-soo, a member of the People Power Party, expressed the need to reconsider the scale of the increase.

On the 27th, Ahn appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' and stated that both Han Dong-hoon, the People Power Party's emergency committee chairman, and the party atmosphere favor a flexible approach rather than the plan to increase medical school admissions by 2,000 students. He emphasized, "Preventing the sacrifice and harm to the public is the top priority."

Ahn Cheol-soo, co-chairman of the People Power Party's joint election campaign committee, held an emergency press conference on the afternoon of the 26th at Seongnam City Council to announce his position on the increase in medical school admissions. Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding the number of additional medical students, Ahn said, "It should not be decided arbitrarily." He explained, "South Korea's medical sector needs to solve three problems: currently, there is a shortage of essential medical doctors; next, there is a lack of medical scientists who develop drugs and vaccines; and regional medical services are underdeveloped. To address these, policies must be changed and the government must invest."

He continued, "If there is still a shortage of doctors after that, a broad social medical reform council should be established," adding, "This council should include doctors, the public, civic groups, and even foreign organizations to create a reasonable plan. Gradually increasing medical school admissions is a common view shared by both doctors and myself."

Regarding the resurfacing of the People Power Party's 'capital region crisis theory' ahead of the general election and the suggestion of 'Yoo Seung-min's comeback,' he said, "I don't see it as a solution," and added, "(Yoo Seung-min's return) might help, but it is unlikely to be a decisive factor." He stated, "I think the ruling party currently lacks a vision on how to solve various livelihood issues and how to build the future of South Korea. The remaining 14 days are a period in which all events that could occur in the 500 years of the Joseon Dynasty might happen, so it is right to focus diligently on those aspects."