Mid-May Approval Discouraged, Likely Considering Court's Recommendation
Medical Students' Side: "Trying to Deceive the Public and Pressure the Court"
The government submitted an explanatory document to the court handling the lawsuit filed by medical students requesting a halt to the increase in medical school admissions, stating that "the admission quota for the 2025 academic year has not yet been finalized." The medical students' side protested, accusing the government of deceiving the court.
The Korea Legal Aid Corporation on the 2nd submitted reference materials to the Seoul High Court Administrative Division 7 (Presiding Judges Gu Hoe-geun, Bae Sang-won, and Choi Da-eun), stating, "We would like to explain the meaning of the press release announced today by the Korea Council for University Education (KCUE)." This court is handling the appeal trial for the injunction request to suspend the effect of the increase in medical school admissions.
The Corporation stated, "The KCUE compiled changes in medical school admission quotas submitted by each university and distributed them in the form of a press reference material," adding, "This does not mean that the 2025 academic year medical school admission quotas have been finalized; the quotas have not yet been confirmed."
Furthermore, they said, "The final confirmation is scheduled to take place around the end of this month after KCUE's review according to legal procedures, which will be after the decision timing of this court."
The submission of the reference materials appears to be in response to the court's request during the appeal hearing held on the 30th of last month, where the court urged the government side, "The decision will be made by mid-next month at the latest, so the final approval for the increase should not be granted before then."
This can be interpreted as an explanation to prevent the court from accepting the reports based on KCUE's press release as confirmation of next year's medical school admission quotas.
The Corporation also submitted materials explaining the specific procedures for finalizing medical school quotas, citing the Korea Council for University Education Act, the Higher Education Act, and the Enforcement Decree of the Higher Education Act. This was also requested by the court during the previous hearing.
Attorney Lee Byung-chul of Law Firm Chanjong, representing the medical students who applied for the injunction, submitted rebuttal materials to the court, stating that "the government is deceiving the court."
Attorney Lee argued, "Numerous reporters have covered the intent of KCUE's press release and reported it as 'confirmation of the scale of medical school admissions increase for the 2025 academic year,'" adding, "The Ministry of Education is deceiving the public and trying to pressure the court."
Earlier, medical students, professors, and residents filed an injunction request against the government to suspend the effect of the decision to increase and allocate 2,000 medical school quotas. The Seoul Administrative Court, which handled the first trial, dismissed the case citing 'lack of standing,' and the medical students appealed.
The appellate court plans to receive the government's evidence supporting the increase in medical school admissions by the 10th of this month and aims to reach a conclusion by mid-month. The government has not yet submitted the evidence requested by the court.
On the same day, the Ministry of Education and KCUE compiled and disclosed the next year's medical school admission quotas for 31 out of 32 medical schools with increased quotas. Considering the increase for Cha Medical School, which has not yet decided its admission quota, the total increase in medical school admissions will be between 1,489 and 1,509. KCUE will review and approve each university's implementation plan by the end of May.
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