"All 4,800 Top Scorers in CSAT Could Enter Medical School"… Lee Jun-seok's Lecture at Seoul National University

Lee Jun-seok "The Threat Facing the Scientific Community Is Medical School Expansion"
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Lee Jun-seok, the elected leader of the Reform New Party, emphasized that "the threat facing the scientific community is the increase in medical school admissions" in relation to the government's confirmed policy to expand medical school quotas and concerns about the concentration of students in medical schools. Yonhap News reported that on the 27th, after Lee gave a public lecture titled "An Unavoidable Future" at the Graduate School of International Studies at Seoul National University, he responded to a student's question about "plans to revive the scientific community, which has been hit by cuts in research and development (R&D) budgets."

Lee Jun-seok, the elected representative of the Reform New Party, emphasized on the 27th that "the threat facing the scientific community is the increase in medical school admissions," in relation to the government's confirmed policy to increase medical school quotas and concerns about the concentration of students in medical schools.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The public lecture was conducted in English with about 100 Seoul National University students attending. Lee, a Harvard graduate, joked, "It was 18 years ago when I last took an English lecture." First, regarding the increase in medical personnel, he stated, "Assuming 60% of the 200,000 examinees are science students, the top grade (top 4%) students number 4,800, and all of them could potentially enter medical schools." He continued, "5,000 out of 200,000 (2.5%) is a really large proportion," explaining, "If this ratio is maintained, there will be a shortage of people responsible for science and technology."

Also, when asked about his stance on the proposal to conscript women aiming to become professionals such as lawyers or medical personnel, he said, "There is merit in terms of fairness." However, he added, "As a politician in the conservative camp, I do not prefer to impose more burdens on citizens," emphasizing, "I do not like the idea of making more people serve in the military." Furthermore, he added, "My goal is to abolish conscription so that no one suffers from military service."

Earlier, the Korea Council for University Education (KCUE) changed and approved the university admission plan applied to this year's high school seniors on the 24th, confirming the number of medical school admissions at 4,567, an increase of 1,509 from the previous academic year (3,058). President Yoon Suk-yeol instructed the Ministry of Education the day before regarding the increase in medical school admissions, saying, "The Ministry of Education should actively cooperate with universities where the increase has been made and thoroughly prepare for the university entrance examination implementation." This was an order for thorough follow-up measures following the confirmation of the increase in medical school admissions. However, the medical community is still opposing, saying, "The increase in medical school admissions for 2025 has not yet been decided."