Medical Reform Special Committee, First Phase of Reform Implementation
Launch of Physician Supply and Demand Discussion Body
The government has expressed its position that the scale of medical school admissions in 2026 may be reconsidered. A discussion body for forecasting and adjusting the supply and demand of medical personnel, including doctors, will be launched within this year.
The Presidential Commission on Medical Reform held its 6th meeting on the 30th and deliberated and approved the 'First Implementation Plan for Medical Reform,' which includes these details.
The Medical Reform Commission has decided to launch a discussion body for forecasting and adjusting the supply and demand of medical personnel within this year. The discussion body will consist of a Supply and Demand Forecasting Expert Committee and advisory committees by profession, and the Medical Reform Commission plans to start the nomination process for members next month.
The 'Supply and Demand Forecasting Expert Committee' will be composed of nominees recommended by providers, consumers, and expert organizations, with the proportion of provider (medical personnel) recommendations being more than 50%.
The 'Advisory Committees by Profession' for doctors, nurses, and others will serve as advisory bodies representing the unique characteristics of each profession when the Supply and Demand Forecasting Expert Committee forecasts personnel, with each profession participating at more than 50%.
Noh Yeon-hong, Chairman of the Special Committee on Medical Reform, is speaking at the 6th Special Committee on Medical Reform held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 30th. [Photo by Yonhap News]
The Medical Reform Commission will establish a 'Medical Personnel Supply and Demand Forecasting Center' at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs next year to support the forecasting work. In the future, this center is planned to be developed into a specialized integrated workforce policy support institution similar to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
The Medical Reform Commission also plans to first forecast the supply and demand for doctors and nurses, then extend the forecasting to other professions such as Korean medicine doctors, dentists, and pharmacists.
In this process, if the medical community participates and proposes 'reasonable alternatives,' the government’s position is that the scale of medical school admissions in 2026 could be discussed.
A Ministry of Health and Welfare official said, "We will analyze the appropriate scale of medical personnel needed to respond to the rapidly increasing medical demand due to aging and to strengthen essential and regional medical care, and establish a supply and demand forecasting and adjustment system for medical personnel to formulate mid- to long-term workforce policies. The issue of medical school admissions for the 2026 academic year can also be a subject of discussion."
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