Seoul accepts university heads’ demand to lower medical school enrollment increase target

Prime Minister Han Duk-soo announced on Friday that the government would accept the request from six national university chiefs to reduce the targeted number of medical school student seats by up to 50 percent from the original 2,000.

Consequently, the adjustment in medical school enrollment quotas will range between 1,000 and 2,000, marking a significant shift in government policy following the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's decisive defeat in the 22nd general election held on April 10.

"We are committed to actively safeguarding medical students, standardizing medical education, and offering a pathway to resolving conflicts within the medical field," stated Han during a special briefing following a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) on Friday. 

"Considering the unique educational circumstances of each university, we will permit the 32 universities scheduled to expand their medical school seats this year to autonomously admit new students for the 2025 academic year within a range of 50 percent to 100 percent of the expanded seats, should they choose to do so."

The six universities are Gangwon National University, Kyungpook National University, Gyeongsang National University, Chungnam National University, Chungbuk National University and Jeju National University.

Each university has until the end of April to revise their admissions plans for the 2025 admissions cycle, determining the number of students they will admit within the permitted range, and to finalize their admissions plans for the 2026 admissions cycle.

The government said it will engage in discussions regarding the number of seats for the 2026 and 2027 academic years once a unified proposal, based on scientific evidence, is submitted by the medical community.

Han emphasized that the government took into account the urgent need to minimize anxiety for prospective students and their parents, especially with the 2025 entrance examination looming, and highlighted the necessity to "normalize the medical school calendar."

However, some 13,000 striking trainee doctors are still demanding the government completely nullify the initial plan to increase medical school seats or delay the plan for at least a year.

Still, the government is not considering cancelling its plan to expand medical school enrollment or placing a one-year moratorium on the matter, Han added.