Government: "Medical School Expansion Not Postponed... Reconsideration Impossible Without Medical Community's Opinion"

On the 7th, the government stated that if the medical community does not present opinions on the scale of medical school quota increases after the 2026 academic year, reconsideration of the medical school quota increase issue will not be possible.

On the same day, the Office for Government Policy Coordination said in a press release, "The reported decision to postpone the medical school quota increase in 2026, as reported by some media, is not true," and added, "If the medical community continues not to present opinions, reconsideration is impossible."

The Office for Government Policy Coordination emphasized, "The medical workforce supply and demand system should be based on scientific analysis like the National Pension Service, and even if discussed in the ruling-opposition-party-government consultative body, discussions must be based on scientifically grounded medical personnel demand forecasts."

The Office for Government Policy Coordination also stated, "If there are opinions different from the government proposal, a medical personnel demand forecast based on scientific analysis must be presented for reconsideration to take place," and emphasized, "If the medical community presents scientific and rational opinions, the government’s position to flexibly reconsider regardless of the numbers remains unchanged."

The Office for Government Policy Coordination said, "The government has consistently and continuously stated that if the medical community has differing opinions on the scale of medical school quota increases after the 2026 academic year and presents rational opinions with scientific evidence, it will respect them and reconsider from a zero base without being bound by the figure of 2,000."

It continued, "The government decided on the minimum necessary scale of medical school quota increases based on scientific supply and demand analysis and has collected opinions from the medical community for more than a year and eight months, but while the medical community agrees with the increase, it has never presented opinions on the scale until now."

It then reiterated, "The government’s persistent request to the medical community for 'rational opinions based on scientific evidence,' which has been made for over a year and eight months, remains unchanged."

Earlier, the Presidential Office and the government-ruling party stated in the ruling-opposition-party-government consultative body that the 2026 medical school quota increase could be discussed from scratch. Subsequently, some interpreted that the postponement of the medical school quota increase for the year after next was virtually confirmed following the ruling party’s proposal.