Medical School Deans Officially Request 'Enrollment Freeze' to Ministry of Education and University Presidents

KAMC: "If the government accepts, we will do our best to ensure students return"
Requests 65 billion KRW in financial support for normalization of academic operations

Deans of 40 medical schools nationwide have requested university presidents to freeze next year's medical school enrollment at the previous level of 3,058 students.

On the 19th, according to the medical and educational sectors, the Korean Association of Medical Colleges (KAMC) sent an official letter to the university presidents of each medical school conveying this request.

KAMC stated, "The medical school enrollment for 2026 should be reset to the 2024 level of 3,058 students, and from 2027 onward, the total medical school enrollment should be determined by the Forecast Committee formed in agreement with the medical community. We have requested the government to acknowledge this," adding, "While each university may have different understandings regarding medical school admissions, we ask for your cooperation on a grand scale to resolve the current situation."

The association also said, "If students do not return during the first semester of 2025 and the return is delayed until the second semester or later, it will be impossible to produce doctors for the second consecutive year, severely damaging the medical education system," and "If the government proactively accepts our demands, we will establish educational policies for students enrolled in 2024 and 2025 and do our best to ensure students return and academic normalcy is restored."

This official letter was sent after the Ministry of Health and Welfare proposed an alternative to the National Assembly through amendments to the bill related to the Health and Medical Workforce Supply Forecast Committee, allowing university presidents to adjust the medical school enrollment for the 2026 academic year. If the bill passes, and if the enrollment for next year is not agreed upon by the Forecast Committee, each university president will be able to decide the enrollment in consultation with the Ministry of Education.

Earlier, in an official letter sent to the Ministry of Education on the 17th titled 'Request for Cooperation to Normalize Medical School Academic Operations for the 2025 Academic Year,' KAMC reportedly included a request for government financial support amounting to approximately 1.6 billion KRW per university on average, totaling about 65 billion KRW. This includes operational costs such as personnel support and medical practice expenses.