Jeonnam Council Expresses Regret Over Medical School Quota Freeze... Insists National Medical School Must Be Established in Jeonnam

Official Statement on the Freeze of the 2026 Medical School Admissions Quota

On April 22, the Jeonnam Provincial Council expressed deep regret regarding the government's decision to freeze the medical school admissions quota for the 2026 academic year, and firmly stated that a national medical school in Jeonnam must be established for the 2027 academic year.

In its statement titled "Position on the 2026 Medical School Admissions Quota Freeze" released on this day, the council said, "With the government freezing the medical school admissions quota at 3,058 as of April 17, the opening of a national medical school in Jeonnam in 2026 is now virtually impossible," and added, "The long-held hopes of Jeonnam residents have once again been dashed, and the pain is immense."

The Jeonnam Provincial Council stated on the 22nd that the Jeonnam Medical School must be established. Photo by Jeonnam Provincial Council

The council particularly pointed out, "It is a serious problem that President Yoon Suk-yeol's publicly promised plan to establish a national medical school in Jeonnam, made before the people in an official address, was not mentioned at all in this announcement," and strongly urged the government to fulfill its promise.

Currently, Jeonnam is the only metropolitan local government in the country without a medical school. The region has a high rate of aging and many island and mountainous areas, resulting in significantly low access to medical care. The council explained Jeonnam's dire medical reality by stating, "More than half of severe emergency patients are unable to receive treatment within the golden hour, leaving the region in a state of medical vacuum."

The council further emphasized, "Although the right to health is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution, more than 700,000 Jeonnam residents each year have to travel to other regions for medical treatment," stressing that this situation in Jeonnam must not be neglected any longer.

The Jeonnam Provincial Council stated, "The establishment of a national medical school is not simply a local demand, but a national duty and a responsibility of the government," and added, "It is a promise made to the people that must be fulfilled regardless of any change in administration or political circumstances." The council urged the government to make a prompt decision and take substantive action, insisting that, separate from the 2026 admissions quota freeze, a national medical school in Jeonnam must be established for the 2027 academic year.