Fate of Medical School Expansion?…Court to Decide on 16-17th

If Dismissed, Steps for Increase After 27 Years
If Accepted, Next Year's Increase 'Cancelled'

On the 25th, as the conflict between the government and the medical community continued and medical professors nationwide began to resign individually, a statement written by the Emergency Committee of the Seoul National University College of Medicine and Hospital Professors was posted at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The court's decision on the increase in medical school admissions, which has been the main cause of conflict in medical policy (의정), is entering its final stage. If the court dismisses the medical community's request for a suspension of the increase in medical school admissions, the government's expansion plan is expected to proceed in earnest. Conversely, if the suspension request is accepted, next year's increase plan will be canceled.

According to the government and legal circles on the 15th, the Seoul High Court is expected to make a decision on the appeal of the suspension request filed by medical students, professors, and residents, who asked the government to halt the effect of the decision to increase and allocate 2,000 medical school admissions, on either the 16th or 17th.

The Seoul High Court received supporting materials from the government on the 10th of this month, which included the procedures and discussions regarding the 2025 academic year medical school admissions quota. The court will decide whether to suspend the effect of the increase (accept), dismiss the case for lack of legal grounds (dismissal), or reject the request (denial).

If the court decides to dismiss or deny, the first increase in medical school admissions in 27 years will take place; if accepted, next year's increase will be nullified. Each university must reflect the increased medical school admissions in their early admission guidelines by the end of this month to finalize the increase. Regardless of the decision, it will be physically difficult for either side to overturn the ruling through further appeals.

Depending on dismissal or denial, universities will revise their academic regulations to reflect the increase in medical school admissions, and the Korea Council for University Education (KCUE) Admissions Review Committee will approve the previously submitted 'University Admission Implementation Plans' and notify each university. Then, by the end of this month or early next month, the admissions quota will be finalized along with the announcement of each university's 'early admission guidelines.'

If the request is accepted, the increase will not take place in next year's admissions. The government plans to continue legal procedures and discussions to reflect the increased quota in the admissions for the year after next, but the momentum will inevitably weaken.

Even if next year's increase in medical school admissions is canceled depending on the court's decision, it is uncertain whether residents will immediately return. Senior residents cannot take the specialist exam if they are absent for more than three months during their training period, so some may return within this month, but how all residents will act remains unknown.

Doctors, including residents, are united in demanding that not only next year's but all future increase plans be completely scrapped, so they are likely to maintain a strong stance going forward. Medical students, who are pushing through leaves of absence despite the risk of failing a year, share the same position.