Government Announces Accelerated Medical Reform, Universities Resume Amendment Procedures (Comprehensive)

Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting... "Securing Driving Force" Commitment to Follow-up Measures
Concrete Implementation Plans for Four Major Tasks Including Strengthening Regional Medical Care
Universities to Submit Amendment Proposals Next Week... Concerns Over Medical Community Opposition

The government stated that it will "promptly resolve conflicts in the medical field and fulfill its mission to reform the medical system." This follows the court's decision the previous day to dismiss and reject the appeal against the 'suspension of execution of the medical school quota increase order.' The government also announced plans to advance detailed tasks for medical reform. However, universities now face the task of completing procedures to finalize the admission guidelines for the 2025 academic year by the end of this month.

Lee Han-kyung, the 2nd Chief Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for the doctors' collective action and Director of the Disaster Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said at the Central Disaster and Safety Situation Room in the Government Complex Sejong on the morning of the 17th, "Based on the recent court decision, the government has secured momentum to push forward the four major tasks and will accelerate the promotion of medical reform," emphasizing this point.

Lee Hangyeong, the 2nd General Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, is delivering opening remarks at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on medical professionals' collective action held on the morning of the 17th at the Central Disaster and Safety Situation Room in the Government Sejong Complex.
[Photo by Ministry of the Interior and Safety]

"Medical school quotas not increased for 27 years... Promptly establish concrete implementation plans for the four major tasks"

On this day, the government reiterated its commitment to follow-up measures now that the legal foundation for medical reform has been secured. Director Lee stated, "Following the expansion of medical personnel, we will promptly establish concrete implementation plans for the four major tasks: strengthening regional healthcare, enhancing the safety net for medical accidents, and establishing a fair compensation system." This indicates that having overcome the first hurdle of medical reform, the government intends to speed up the implementation of subsequent tasks.

He added, "We will increase the medical school quotas, which have not been raised for 27 years, to revive the collapsing essential regional healthcare and reduce disparities between regions," and explained, "The allocation of the increased medical school quotas to regional medical schools outside Seoul is also aimed at addressing the shortage of essential regional medical services."

He also urged the medical community to return to the field once again. Director Lee said, "It has been almost three months since the residents left the hospitals," and appealed, "Residents, please listen to the appeals from patient groups and various sectors of society, consider your career paths, and return to the patients' side even now."

He highlighted the strong public support for medical reform. Director Lee said, "According to the public opinion survey on increasing medical school quotas, 72.4% of the public support an increase of 2,000 students, showing continued strong support for medical reform," and promised, "The government will successfully complete medical reform according to the will of the people."

Universities accelerate administrative procedures amid medical community opposition... Some to hold university councils next week

The court's recent ruling is expected to accelerate universities' administrative procedures for increasing medical school quotas. A representative from Kangwon National University told this publication, "We had postponed the university council meeting, but we plan to hold it next week," adding, "We somewhat anticipated the court's decision to dismiss the appeal, and expect the internal procedures to pass smoothly." A representative from Chungbuk National University also said, "We will proceed with the review process for amending the school regulations as planned," but regarding whether the court's decision will change the review outcome, they responded, "We need to discuss it to know."

According to the Ministry of Education, among the 32 universities targeted for medical school quota increases, 12 have completed amendments to their school regulations so far. The remaining universities had been withholding their stance, waiting to see the court's decision amid opposition from internal faculty councils. However, with the court's dismissal of the appeal against the suspension of execution of the medical school quota increase order, momentum for the quota increase is expected to strengthen. The universities that had delayed decisions until now must complete their discussions.

The problem is that opposition from the medical community is expected to intensify. To reflect the increased medical school quotas in the 2025 university admissions, universities must revise the 'University Admission Implementation Plan' announced last April and finalize it by the end of this month. The final authority to amend school regulations lies with each university president. University presidents must gather opinions through university legislative review committees, deans' meetings, faculty councils, and university councils, and submit the amendment proposals to the Korea Council for University Education by next week at the latest. However, if internal opposition intensifies, university presidents may face renewed pressure in making decisions.

Medical associations plan to pursue legal action through re-appeals, but this seems difficult. Considering that each university will confirm the quota increase by reflecting the medical school recruitment numbers in the early admission guidelines by the end of this month, it will be hard to overturn the second-instance decision through re-appeals. However, the medical community's absence is expected to continue for the time being. Professors at medical schools nationwide have already announced plans to adjust working hours in preparation for a prolonged emergency medical system if the suspension of execution is not accepted. The National Emergency Countermeasures Committee of Medical School Professors stated that once the medical school quota increase is confirmed, they will conduct a one-week strike and hold strikes once a week thereafter.

In particular, residents reportedly have no intention of returning regardless of the appeal decision. Organizations such as the Korean Intern Resident Association demand the 'complete cancellation of the medical school quota increase,' not just a 'postponement of the increase,' as a condition for their return. Senior residents who must take the specialist exam are in a slightly different situation. Next week will mark three months since residents left the medical field, and if they do not receive training for more than three months, they will be ineligible to take the specialist exam next year. In this case, the timing of obtaining specialist qualifications will inevitably be delayed.