Education minister says change in 2025 medical school enrollment quota impossible

Minister of Education Lee Joo-ho said it would be legally impossible to adjust the number of medical school student quotas for the class of 2025 at a plenary session of the National Assembly's Education Committee on Wednesday. 

With President Yoon Suk Yeol's exit from office following the passage of an impeachement bill by the National Assembly, expectations grew in the medical community that it may be possible to adjust the number of medical school seats for 2025.

The deadline to apply for the 2025 university entrance exam is January 3 2025, leaving only about two weeks to discuss medical school seats.

However, Minister Lee said, "The only exceptional circumstances that can change the number of medical school quotas are natural disasters."

"It is legally impossible to change the number of seats as it has already been nailed down in the college entrance examination implementation plan.”

In response to a question from Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Jun-hyuk, who asked whether the number of seats for next year's medical schools could be changed if President Yoon's martial law debacle is considered a “natural disaster,” Lee said it was still impossible.

Lee added that there are parents and students who could potentially suffer losses if the quotas are changed now. 

The minister said it was possible to discuss the number of medical students for the 2026 academic year.

He allso called for resuming the suspended ruling and opposition parties' consultative group.