The government is understood to be considering restoring the medical school admission quota for the 2026 academic year to 3,058, the number before the increase.
The People Power Party stated on the 6th that it is reasonable to revert next year's medical school admission quota to 3,058, the number before the increase. Following party-government consultations, the government reportedly decided to accept the opinion to freeze the medical school quota through consecutive meetings with related ministries.
On the same day, Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, held a briefing after consultations with Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, saying, "The Deans' Council, which includes 39 medical schools and medical graduate schools, submitted a proposal with this content to the Minister of Education."
Earlier, the Korean Association of Medical Colleges (KAMC), a council of medical school deans, proposed last month to freeze next year's medical school quota at 3,058.
The 'Council of Presidents for the Advancement of Medical Schools' (Uichonghyeop), a gathering of presidents from 40 universities nationwide with medical schools, also agreed to the freeze plan.
As concerns about leaving a gap in medical education have heightened, the government is also tentatively settling on the freeze plan for next year. The government is expected to announce next year's quota during a briefing on the 7th regarding 'medical school reinstatement and normalization of medical education.'
However, the acceptance of the 3,058 quota is premised on medical students returning by the end of March. If students on leave return within this month, the government plans to initiate administrative procedures to revise the admission quota.
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