Presidential office open to revising medical school admission quota increase: Report

Politics

Presidential office open to revising medical school admission quota increase: Report

Published: 06 Sep. 2024, 14:01

Presidential Office in Yongsan District, central Seoul [NEWS1]

The presidential office may be open to adjusting the government’s previously announced plan to increase the 2026 medical school admissions quota by 2,000 seats.

The presidential office is reportedly investigating a plan to form a consultative body involving rival parties, the National Assembly and the government to resolve the medical vacuum resulting from a prolonged doctors' walkout.

President Yoon Suk Yeol takes a question from a reporter during a press conference at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul last Thursday. [NEWS1]

“It's fake news that President Yoon Suk Yeol insists on increasing the number to 2,000,” a senior conservative People Party Power (PPP) official told local news outlet Yonhap on Friday. The official added that "reasonable and scientific estimates" will enable "candid discussions with open minds."

The proposal comes amid medical disruptions and chaos caused by the current conflict between doctors and the government over expanding medical school student admissions. The conflict has been ongoing since 2020, with doctors going on strike in February to protest the Yoon Suk Yeol's government's medical reform measures.

“The medical community has not been willing to engage in dialogue until now, but if the medical community, the government and the opposition party all participate and have a proper discussion, it would be welcomed.” the official said.

Han Dong-hoon, leader of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), talks at a press briefing held at the Korea Christian Association Building in Jongno District, central Seoul on Friday. [YONHAP]

PPP Chairman Han Dong-hoon made a similar proposal the same day at a press briefing held in the Korea Christian Association Building in Jongno District, central Seoul.

“The prolonged medical vacuum caused by the issue of expanding medical schools has led to public inconvenience and anxiety regarding emergency medical treatments,” Han said at the briefing.

"The proposal is to form a consultative body where the ruling and opposition parties, along with the medical and political sectors, come together to discuss normalizing medical services in the field, ensuring that health care reform is efficiently carried out to benefit the people, and to seek reasonable alternatives to increasing medical school admissions," said Han.

When asked if the proposal to form the council had been coordinated with the president's office, Han said, “I know it's something that the president's office is sympathetic to.”

Choo Kyung-Ho, floor leader of the PPP, talks at a in-house policy meeting held at the National Assembly on Friday. [YONHAP]

Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the PPP, also called for the medical community to "come back to the discussion table" with "opinions based on professional and scientific demand forecasting" at an in-house policy meeting held at the National Assembly the same day.

"The stance of the government and the ruling party is that, even at this point, discussions on health care reform, including the increase in medical school admissions for the 2026 academic year, can be approached from the beginning with a fully open perspective," said Choo.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]