South Korea's medical community, which has historically responded to medical school enrollment expansions with strikes and hardline tactics, is now taking a more cautious approach in its standoff with the government.
Two days after the government announced plans to increase medical school freshmen by an annual average of 668 students over five years starting from the 2027 academic year, the Korean Medical Association (KMA) on Wednesday merely requested a reduction in enrollment quotas without mentioning any collective action.
"We urge the Ministry of Education to minimize the 2027 enrollment increase by thoroughly reviewing medical education programs at each university and adjusting admission numbers in advance rather than reclaiming quotas later," KMA spokesperson Kim Sung-geun said at a regular briefing at the KMA headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
He called for the immediate formation of a "medical education consultative body" involving medical education experts and stakeholders, rather than what he termed a "superficial medical education advisory group." The body would objectively verify each university's educational capacity and discuss measures to prevent deterioration in medical education quality, he said.
The government previously maintained enrollment quotas while allowing universities to adjust actual admissions after the medical community opposed a 2,000-student increase for the 2025 academic year amid concerns about substandard education. At that time, total medical school quotas nationwide stood at 5,058, but actual admissions were approximately 500 fewer at 4,567.
The renewed push for medical school expansion has created turmoil within the medical community. Opinion is sharply divided between pragmatists who argue that collective action is unrealistic given the recent return of medical students and resident doctors, and hardliners demanding stronger responses.
Some hardliners have called for KMA Chairman Kim Taek-woo and other executives to resign. The Korean Hospital Doctors Association, Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Association, and Future Healthcare Forum have officially demanded his resignation through statements criticizing the "disastrous outcome" and lack of accountability.
Discontent has also emerged from the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA), which led protests during the previous administration. KIRA Vice Chairman Kim Eun-sik returned his position on the KMA's delegate committee, signaling frustration with the leadership.
The association's policy is to seek realistic countermeasures through deliberation, as it can no longer burden medical students and residents with the weight of protest.
"We apologize for this outcome despite our wholehearted efforts to persuade the government," Kim said. "The leadership recognizes that legitimate voices were not properly reflected."
Regarding response measures, he said the association is "currently in a listening and gathering phase as various voices emerge from different sectors," adding that determining countermeasures may take time as they are still interpreting the government's announcement.
Over the past two days, the KMA held executive board meetings and governance meetings with various medical organizations including the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences and KIRA to discuss response measures. Meetings with the Pan-Medical Community Special Committee to Prevent Healthcare Collapse and the Council of 16 Metropolitan and Provincial Medical Association Presidents were also scheduled for Wednesday.
Separately, the National Council of Medical School Professors announced it will hold a press conference Thursday to address the need to verify the Health and Medical Policy Deliberation Committee's criteria for reviewing medical workforce decisions. KIRA will also hold an emergency online general meeting Friday afternoon.