President Yoon: "Thorough Preparation for Medical School Admission Increase... Maintain Strong Emergency Medical Services"

KMA to Hold 'Medical Death Day' Candlelight Rally on 30th
Presidential Office Confirms Position to "Complete Medical Reform"
Yoon: "Must Do Our Best to Bring Back Residents"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 26th urged the relevant ministries to "fully prepare for the implementation of university admissions in active cooperation with universities where medical school enrollment has been increased." The Korea Medical Association (KMA) announced that it will hold candlelight rallies in six regions nationwide on the 30th to condemn the government's medical reform, but the presidential office reaffirmed its stance to "complete the medical reform."

Sung Tae-yoon, the policy chief of the presidential office, held a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon and said, "The president requested necessary measures to ensure smooth education," adding, "Regarding the Ministry of Health and Welfare, he urged them to firmly maintain the emergency medical system and do their best to allow residents to return to medical sites and complete their training by the patients' side."

Earlier, on the 24th, the Korea Council for University Education reviewed and approved changes to the 2025 university admission implementation plan through the University Admission Committee meeting. Accordingly, the nationwide medical school quota will increase by 1,509, recruiting a total of 4,567 students across 40 medical schools. This expansion of medical school quotas is the first in 27 years.

Sung explained, "(The president) said to accelerate urgent reform policies centered on the Medical Reform Special Committee, such as strengthening essential regional medical care to ensure timely treatment anywhere, establishing a medical accident safety net guaranteeing safe and conscientious treatment, preparing measures to improve residents' working conditions by innovating training environments, and realizing advanced general hospitals focusing on treating severe rare diseases, so that these policies can be promptly materialized and implemented with speed."

On the 24th, when the increase in medical school admission quotas was confirmed for the first time in 27 years, citizens were passing by a medical school near downtown Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon also urged the financial authorities to focus national finances to support medical reform and to work hard on next year's budget formulation.

Sung stated, "He especially emphasized meticulous management to ensure that the five major financial investments of medical reform?essential medical specialties and support systems, regional medical innovation investment, maintenance of essential medical functions, establishment of a medical accident safety net, and expansion of essential medical research and development (R&D)?are carried out without setbacks."

He continued, "I would like to express my gratitude to the public who endure inconveniences and continue to support and cheer for medical reform, as well as to the medical staff on the front lines who are dedicated despite difficult conditions. The government will complete medical reform to repay the public's support and the medical staff's dedication," he said.

With the confirmation of next year's medical school enrollment increase plan, opposition from the medical community is intensifying. The KMA announced that it will hold a candlelight rally titled 'The Day of Death Sentence for Korean Medical Care by the Government of the Republic of Korea' in front of Daehanmun at Deoksugung, Jung-gu, Seoul, from 9 to 10 p.m. on the 30th. Simultaneous rallies will also be held in six regions nationwide, including Gangwon, Chungcheong, Gyeongsang, Jeolla, and Jeju.