<기사>Ruling and Opposition Parties' Medical Association, Divergent Positions on 2025 Medical School Enrollment Increase... Government and Medical Community at Crossroads

Disagreement Over Increasing 26th Grade... "Let's Discuss from the Beginning and Reach an Agreement" "Starting from 27th Grade"

The ruling and opposition parties' consultative body discussed the issue of medical school quotas for the 2025 academic year on the 17th but failed to find any significant agreement, only confirming differences between the government and the medical community.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (from the left), Lee Jin-woo, President of the Korean Medical Association, Lee Jong-tae, Chairman of KAMC, and Lee Man-hee, member of the People Power Party, are attending and seated at the 'Ruling and Opposition Parliamentary Council' meeting held at the National Assembly on the 17th. Photo by Yonhap News

Han Jia, the senior spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated in a briefing after the second plenary meeting of the consultative body, which included the government, the People Power Party, and the medical community, "We heard the medical community's claims regarding the increase in medical school quotas for the 2025 academic year, and the government explained the practical difficulties involved." It was reported that the medical community requested an adjustment of the 2025 academic year quotas by not carrying over unfilled early admission slots to the regular admission slots.

However, since the government has virtually finalized the medical school admission quota for the 2025 academic year at 4,565 students, an increase of 1,509 compared to the 2024 academic year, it maintains the position that the quota cannot be adjusted. It was also reported that the government emphasized the practical difficulties in revising the confirmed college admission plan, as it would require the enactment or amendment of related laws and regulations.

The senior spokesperson explained, "The medical community proposed several options regarding the medical school quota for the 2025 academic year," adding, "The government responded that it is difficult due to legal issues, and the ruling party is carefully considering the matter as the positions remain at an impasse."

There were also differences between the government and the medical community regarding the increase in medical school quotas for the 2026 academic year. The government plans to increase the quota by 2,000 students in 2026 but is open to discussing quota changes until the end of May next year. The government proposes reaching an agreement on the scale of the 2026 medical school quota increase from scratch through the Medical Workforce Supply and Demand Estimation Committee. On the other hand, the medical community reportedly suggested postponing the 2026 increase and starting discussions from the 2027 academic year quota at the committee.

The consultative body also discussed guaranteeing the autonomy of the Korea Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation (KIMEE), which assesses and accredits the quality of medical education. The senior spokesperson said, "The government expressed the intention to guarantee KIMEE's autonomy, but there were specific differences in views with the medical community," adding, "The medical community also emphasized that trust between the government and medical representatives is necessary in the approach."

Kim Seong-won, a member of the ruling party and representative of the consultative body, said, "The positions of the government and the medical community still remain parallel, but they are trying to find ways while understanding each other's positions."

Attending the meeting from the government side were Prime Minister Han Deok-su, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho, Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong, and Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination Bang Ki-seon. From the ruling party, members of the National Assembly Lee Man-hee, Kim Seong-won, and Han Jia participated, and from the medical community, Lee Jin-woo, president of the Korean Medical Association, and Lee Jong-tae, chairman of the Korean Association of Medical Colleges (KAMC), attended. The opposition party and resident doctor organizations did not participate again this time.