The National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee reviewed the bill to adjust the medical school quota for the 2026 academic year but failed to reach a conclusion. As the deadline for finalizing the medical school quota for 2026 is approaching, the ruling and opposition parties plan to discuss the government proposal again within a few days and proceed with a one-point review within this month.
On the 19th, the Health and Welfare Committee held the 1st Subcommittee on Bill Review and conducted a combined review of two amendments to the "Healthcare Workforce Support Act" and four amendments to the "Framework Act on Health and Medical Services," but did not reach a conclusion and decided to continue the review.
The amendments mainly focus on the grounds for adjusting the medical school quota and the establishment and composition of the Medical Workforce Supply and Demand Estimation Committee.
On the 18th, marking one year since the nationwide medical crisis caused by residents from major hospitals across the country leaving medical sites in protest against the government's expansion of medical school quotas by 2,000, patients and visitors are seen moving at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul. 2025.2.18. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung
The ruling and opposition parties agreed on the need to quickly review the bill considering the importance of the matter. However, since there are differences of opinion regarding the scale of the medical school quota adjustment and the composition and role of the Medical Workforce Supply and Demand Estimation Committee, they judged that further consultation with various sectors is necessary.
Kim Mi-ae, the ruling party's secretary of the Health and Welfare Committee and a member of the People Power Party, told reporters after the bill subcommittee meeting that day, "Even if the medical school quota for the 2026 academic year is set autonomously, (there is not much time) so it is urgent. It seems difficult for the Supply and Demand Estimation Committee to carry out the task, so it has to be included in the supplementary provisions."
Kim added, "We received opinions from the Korean Medical Association and patient groups regarding the government proposal, and the government said it is still open to revisions and suggested listening to more opinions. However, there was consensus to try to process the bill as a one-point review within a few days so that it can be passed within this month."
Earlier, on the 17th, the government submitted a revised bill to the National Assembly allowing each university president to adjust the medical school quota within the total increase limit for next year. Since it is highly likely that the Medical Workforce Supply and Demand Estimation Committee will have difficulty estimating the increase scale for the 2026 academic year in time, the bill's supplementary provisions propose that medical schools autonomously decide the increase scale within the total increase of 2,000 students.
However, the Korean Medical Association (KMA) strongly opposed this, raising the need to reconsider the revised bill.
According to the legislative opinion document the KMA submitted last month to the Health and Welfare Committee's expert office, the KMA stated, "The Medical Workforce Supply and Demand Estimation Committee must be granted complete independence to fundamentally block any political interference," and "The structure should move away from government-led decision-making to expert-centered discussion and decision-making." The KMA also pointed out, "The chairperson of the Supply and Demand Estimation Committee should be elected from among members recommended by each health and medical organization to ensure expertise in committee operations," and "For professional estimation work, various variables and multiple environmental factors must be comprehensively considered, so there should be supplementary measures to prevent designation solely through specific government-funded institutions and public organizations."
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