The National Assembly criticized the Ministry of Health and Welfare after the latter revised the outlay for the second supplementary budget for 2025, cutting trainee doctor support by more than 120 billion won ($88.3 million) from the original plan. The 120 billion won accounts for 41 percent of the budget for trainee doctors.

On Thursday, the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee held the “First Budget Settlement Review Subcommittee” to deliberate on the ministry's second supplementary budget for 2025 and the fund management plan change.

According to the revised plan, the supplementary budget cut the outlay for the “Medical Manpower Training and Proper Supply and Demand Management Project” to support trainee doctors by 123.5 billion won. Lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties pointed out that the significant budget cut did not fully reflect reality, especially considering recent moves to resume the training of resigned junior doctors.

The head of the emergency committee of the Korean Intern Resident Association has resigned, and an atmosphere is forming for the return of trainee doctors,” Rep. Seo Myong-ok of the opposition People Power Party said. “When an atmosphere is forming for the return of junior doctors, a cut of more than 120 billion won could send the wrong signal to them.”

“I am worried that cutting the budget to improve the training environment for doctors will only dampen the mood for doctors to return and increase mistrust, perpetuating the government-doctor conflict,” Seo said. “At the very least, the budget should not be cut.”

Rep. Lee Kae-ho of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea also said, “Even though there have been changes in the return of trainee doctors since the decision to cut the budget was made, the hasty cut without reflecting this change did not fully reflect the reality. The ministry is urged to cooperate so that the budget can be readjusted during the deliberation process.”

In response to the lawmakers' criticism, Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyoo-hong said that the unspent budget was calculated by assuming a 50 percent return rate for trainee doctors after September and that the ministry would secure sufficient funding for junior doctors in the upcoming Budget Settlement Committee discussions.

“The announcement of the resigned trainee doctors' intention to return to work came after the supplementary budget was submitted, and so it could not be reflected,” Cho said. “If additional returns (of trainee doctors) become visible before the budget is finalized in the preliminary budget committee, we will increase it, and if there is a concrete return movement at the end of July, we will secure the promised budget through appropriation during the implementation process.”

Parliamentarians also point to ‘unclear criteria’ in related budget cuts

There were also criticisms that the criteria for the budget cuts for the Health and Welfare Ministry's major programs were unclear.

“During last year's budget review, the Health and Welfare Ministry said it would secure enough money to encourage trainee doctors to return, but six months later, it is now proposing a cut of more than 120 billion won,” Rep. Kim Sun-min of the splinter opposition Rebuilding Korea Party said. “It's like the ministry has changed its mind, and it could undermine trust in the government's future budget proposals.”

Rep. Kim asked whether it’s a “bad signal” if the opposition party cuts the budget and a “good signal” if the ministry cuts it, criticizing the government's double standards.

"The Health and Welfare Ministry is still optimistic that 50 percent of trainee doctors will return to work after September, which is why they made this cut. So far, only 1,000 doctors have returned, and more than 5,400 doctors employed by other medical institutions are unlikely to return,” Kim said. “If this continues, we are worried that a large-scale unemployment situation will occur. In light of this, the minister in charge of the related budget should apologize for the massive self-cuts."

In response, Minister Cho said, “I apologize for being unable to make and keep the budget in a situation of great uncertainty. There are opinions that the cuts are too much because there is a movement to bring back trainee doctors after the supplementary budget. We will closely review the situation and make adjustments before the supplementary budget is finalized."

‘Government must expand the budget to improve training programs’

Rep. Kim Yoon of the ruling DPK emphasized the need to expand the budget for the training environment innovation support project to secure the quality of training of junior doctors. In addition, although the budget for improving training programs has been allocated to eight medical societies, focusing on high-priority essential medical areas, it should be expanded to all 26 specialty societies, he emphasized

“The current budget for the training environment innovation support project totals 1.8 billion won, of which 1.6 billion won is focused on common training programs, and only 200 million won is allocated to each society,” Kim said. “If allocated to the eight societies, it would be less than 25 million won per society, making it difficult to make practical improvements.”

“If you look at the actual training program data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the current training program is very weak, with the same training content for emergency medicine from the first to the fourth year,” the DPK lawmaker said, reiterating the need to expand the budget.

Eight medical associations have been prioritized as essential medical areas. Still, suppose a plastic surgery professor performs reconstructive surgery on a patient in a car accident at a university hospital. In that case, it is also an essential medical treatment. Please actively consider expanding the training program to improve the 26 specialties, Kim said.

Minister Cho said, “As the importance of junior doctors’ training will increase, the government will consult with medical associations to ensure that the appropriate demand is reflected.”