More than half of examinees and parents oppose reducing medical school quotas... demand 5,000 slots

Jongno Academy Releases Survey of 543 Respondents
78% Report Anxiety Over Unfinalized Medical School Quota
61% Would Apply to Medical School if Quota Increases

Most examinees and parents are reportedly feeling anxious about the fact that the medical school admission quota for the 2026 academic year has not been finalized.

According to a self-conducted survey released by Jongno Academy on the 9th, more than half of the respondents answered that the medical school quota for next year should be expanded to 5,000 as promised by the government last year.

A banner promoting medical school admissions of students is displayed on the exterior wall of a cram school in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

This survey was conducted online by Jongno Academy from the 1st to the 7th, targeting 543 high school students from grades 1 to 3, repeat examinees, and their parents. According to the results, 77.7% of respondents said that changes in the medical school admission quota affect their application to medical schools, and they feel anxious because the quota has not been finalized.

The majority of respondents (87.5%) believed that the announcement of next year’s medical school admission quota should be concluded within this month.

Regarding the government’s earlier statement that the medical school admission quota for next year could be reduced to the "pre-expansion" number of 3,058 instead of 5,058, opposition (53.5%) was nearly twice as high as support (27.1%).

When asked, "Should the government expand the medical school admission quota for next year to 5,000 as announced last year?" more than half (53.4%) answered "Yes." The opposing response was 29.1%.

However, separate from the government announcement, when asked about the appropriate scale of next year’s medical school admission quota in detail, various opinions emerged. The most common response was in the 5,000 range (34.4%), followed by the 3,000 range (29.1%), 4,000 range (28.7%), and 2,000 range (7.7%).

Meanwhile, more than two-thirds of examinees and parents (68.3%) believed that if the medical school admission quota is reduced, they would be disadvantaged in the entrance exam. Additionally, 61.1% said they would apply to medical schools if the quota is expanded.

Lim Seong-ho, CEO of Jongno Academy, stated, "Overall, examinees are expecting an expansion of the medical school admission quota," adding, "They are experiencing considerable anxiety due to policy changes and seem to hope for a swift decision."