SEOUL – The Korean Medical Association (KMA), representing a significant number of the country's medical professionals, has formally declined a government proposal aimed at increasing medical school admissions. This decision comes amid a larger debate on how to effectively address the healthcare sector's needs.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the government's recent proposal would allow universities to decide their own medical school quotas, with the potential to increase seats by 50 to 100 percent for the academic year 2025. The association's emergency committee, however, has expressed concerns, stating that the proposal does not offer a "fundamental solution" to the ongoing issues in medical education and healthcare service capacity. This rejection follows a government announcement made on Friday, seen as a compromise from an initial plan to increase medical admissions by 2,000. In related developments, over 90 percent of the country's 13,000 trainee doctors have been on strike since February 20, protesting the proposed changes.