Lee Ju-ho: "Medical school quotas cannot be changed after Daekyo-hyeop announcement... Medical students must return"

Press Conference with Reporters on the 21st

Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, emphasized that even if medical school students are held back, the increase in medical school admissions for next year cannot be changed, urging the return of medical students.

At a press briefing on the afternoon of the 21st, Deputy Prime Minister Lee was asked whether there is a possibility of reducing next year’s admission quota if a collective failure occurs, similar to the 1990 case of Korean medicine students being held back. He replied, "The Korea Council for University Education (KCUE) will announce the 2025 university admission plan on the 30th, and individual universities will announce their admission guidelines, which will then be finalized as admission policies," adding, "Admission policies must provide sufficient time and information for applicants to prepare, so they cannot be changed."

Previously, in the 1990s, when Korean medicine students protested government policies by refusing classes and were held back twice collectively, the Ministry of Education reduced university admission quotas by about 20-30% the following year. This was because recruiting the fixed number of students along with the held-back students would result in too many freshmen, making it difficult to operate classes normally.

Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, is delivering opening remarks at the "Medical School Operating Universities Presidents' Meeting" held on the 20th at the Korea Educational Facilities Safety Institute in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

However, the Ministry of Education explained that at that time, there was no system to establish admission plans in stages before the university entrance exam as there is now. Ministry spokesperson Koo Yeon-hee said, "When the Korean medicine students were held back in the 1990s, there was no announcement system like the current university admission plan," adding, "Now, since it is stipulated by law, once the announcement is made, the quota cannot be reduced anymore."

Deputy Prime Minister Lee urged medical schools to individually counsel medical students and encourage their return to school. He said, "The biggest concern now is that, in the worst case, the number of first-year students could double," and added, "It is necessary to provide students with accurate information about the consequences. They should be informed and persuaded precisely through one-on-one meetings."

Regarding the postponement of the national medical licensing exam, he stated that consultations with the Ministry of Health and Welfare are ongoing. Deputy Prime Minister Lee said, "The Ministry of Education’s policy is to persuade students well so that none drop out and to ensure no harm occurs," and added, "We are continuing consultations with the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the medical licensing exam in that spirit." However, he noted, "Since the two ministries are still in discussions, it is not a situation where one side can speak out," and said, "We will speak as soon as the inter-ministerial consultations are concluded."

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Lee described the low birthrate response planning department that President Yoon Seok-yeol plans to establish as "very significant in that it creates a new department at the national level to address low birthrates, with coordinating functions encompassing labor, education, and welfare, and to promote focused efforts."

When asked whether the Ministry of Education’s tasks such as the integration of childcare and the Neulbom School could be transferred to the low birthrate planning department, he said, "(Regarding childcare integration) since it was integrated from the Ministry of Health and Welfare to the Ministry of Education last year, the Ministry of Education is continuing to make plans," adding, "It is a challenging policy and one that the Ministry of Education has put a lot of effort into, so from our perspective, it is expected to continue." He further explained, "Government reorganization is not done based on the position of one department alone, so from the perspective of creating a good organization, the Ministry of Education will abandon selfishness and prioritize national interests."