Health Ministry, KMA agree to discuss increasing medical school sizes

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Health Ministry, KMA agree to discuss increasing medical school sizes

Published: 09 Jun. 2023, 10:49 Updated: 09 Jun. 2023, 10:49

Medical staff enter Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno District, central Seoul. [NEWS1]

Korea's Health Ministry and a major doctor's lobby group agreed to put their heads together to increase the number of students entering medical students starting 2025.

Officials from the Health Ministry and the Korean Medical Association (KMA) held a consultative meeting on Thursday to address various policy issues, including the contentious matter of enrollment quotas for medical schools.

A ministry official said they have agreed to expand the quotas for the 2025 school year, with specific numbers to be determined through further deliberations.

But the KMA, Korea's largest medical doctors' group, denied agreeing to such an increase.

"The agreement is not about an increase in the enrollment capacity but means that we will start discussing the matter," a KMA official said.

The joint announcement released by both parties after the meeting did not explicitly mention the expansion of quotas but included a reference to an "increased number of medical doctors."

"[Both parties agreed] to come up with and thoroughly implement concrete and comprehensive measures to ensure that the increased number of medical doctors contributes to essential and regional medical care," the release read.

Physicians have opposed increasing the number of medical students. In August 2020, they organized nationwide strikes that ultimately compelled the government to withdraw its plan to expand enrollment.

BY SOHN DONG-JOO, YONHAP [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]