The Korean government and the nation’s representative group of physicians agreed to expand the medical school enrollment quota starting in 2025, marking the first change since 2006. 

However, there has been a sharp disagreement between the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Medical Association (KMA), regarding the implementation of the plan, particularly due to their sensitivity towards the "physician supply and demand forecast," which serves as the foundation for determining the scope of the medical school expansion.

Cha Joon-kyung, director of the healthcare policy division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said the government would estimate the supply and demand of physicians based on several studies conducted by national research institutes.

However, Lee Jeong-keun, vice president of the KMA, said the government’s estimate could differ from those calculated by the KMA’s healthcare policy research institute. He emphasized that the KMA would not use the government's data as a basis for expanding medical school enrollment.

The two sides have yet to agree on which experts, or how many experts, will participate in a forum to make key recommendations for raising the medical student quota. 

Earlier on Thursday, the government and the KMA met in a meeting and reached an agreement to initiate discussions on expanding the medical school enrollment quota in the academic year of 2025, marking the first change since 2006. For nearly two decades, the quota has remained steadfastly fixed at 3,058.

The government and the KMA agreed to discuss ways to expand the appropriate number of doctors based on scientific evidence to strengthen essential and regional medical care. 

However, tensions arose as soon as the meeting between the two sides commenced, leading to a heated exchange of words.

Lee Hyung-hoon, a healthcare policy official from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said that the government should consider public opinion and discuss ways to expand the medical student quota. 

"Emergency patients are dying because they can't find a hospital to treat them. Overcrowding of emergency rooms with patients with mild cases and a shortage of physicians for follow-up care after first aid are the main causes of the Korean medical care problem," Lee said.

He added that if the KMA does not participate in the discussion on increasing the medical student quota, doctors will face public criticism.

"Despite public expectations and public opinion on the need to increase the number of doctors, there has been no discussion at the meeting (between the government and the KMA)," Lee said. "The discussion for the medical student quota is still a taboo within the medical community, and the KMA is failing to coordinate various opinions within the medical community," he said.

However, Lee Kwang-rae, chairman of the Incheon Metropolitan City Council, responded that raising the quota alone would not solve the medical care problem in Korea. 

"The KMA is not avoiding the discussion. We are saying that the government, local governments, and the National Assembly should take groundbreaking measures rather than solving (medical issues) within the framework of the existing health insurance system," Chairman Lee said.

"Even if the number of medical school seats is increased, it will only be effective in 13 years, and we need to take measures for the gap," Lee said, emphasizing that it is important to create soil for current medical students and interns to apply for essential medical care, rather than relying solely on discussions about the medical school enrollment quota.