The South Korean government unveiled a moderated plan on Tuesday to incrementally increase medical school admissions over a five-year period starting in 2027, aiming to alleviate physician shortages in one of the world’s most rapidly aging populations. This compromise solution emerges following months of tense negotiations with medical professionals who had previously staged extensive walkouts against more aggressive expansion proposals.
Health Minister Jeong Eun Kyeong detailed the phased approach that will raise the annual admissions cap from the current 3,058 to 3,548 by 2027, with subsequent increases reaching 3,871 by 2031. This represents an average annual increase of 668 students—significantly more conservative than the 2,000-per-year hike initially proposed by former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration, which triggered months of disruptive strikes by thousands of doctors in 2024.
The revised strategy includes provisions that all additional students will participate in regional physician programs specifically designed to address critical shortages in rural areas and small towns most affected by demographic challenges. The government emphasized its commitment to working with medical experts to develop comprehensive measures strengthening regional, essential, and public healthcare infrastructure.
This announcement occurred amid ongoing tensions with medical associations. Kwak Soon-hun, a senior Health Ministry official, noted that the president of the Korean Medical Association attended the healthcare policy meeting but departed early to boycott the vote determining the scale of admission increases. Doctors’ groups have consistently argued that medical schools lack the capacity to handle substantial enrollment hikes without compromising educational quality, while critics have accused these groups of prioritizing income protection over addressing national healthcare needs.
The current administration under liberal President Lee Jae Myung has sought to resolve the protracted conflict that began under the previous conservative government. After Yoon’s impeachment in December 2024 over his controversial declaration of martial law, the current government restored the admission cap to 3,058 for 2026, accommodating medical schools’ concerns and encouraging striking trainees to return to work. The specific admissions quota for each medical institution will be finalized in April.