The conflict between the government and the medical community shows no signs of resolution. With the June 3 presidential election approaching, candidates from both parties have not been able to present specific solutions regarding the increase in medical school admissions or the training and education issues of medical students and residents who left schools and hospitals for over a year in opposition to the increase. This is because they are caught in a dilemma: opposing the increase could lose them the votes of constituents who believe the number of doctors should be increased, while supporting it could incite backlash from existing doctors.
Medical students have returned to school, but residents are still not coming back. The medical community is focused on nullifying the increase in medical school admissions policy and seizing control of discussions. They aim to start discussions with the new government from scratch. The Korean Medical Association (KMA) argues that "discussions regarding the normalization of medical education beyond the increase in medical school quotas, essential medical package policy, and reimbursement issues (the money the National Health Insurance Service pays to hospitals) are additionally needed."
◇Candidates from each party, effectively abandon the increase in medical school admissions
Presidential candidates from both parties have expressed skepticism about the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's unilateral increase of 2,000 medical school admissions. They are also delineating their stance by stating that social discussions are necessary regarding the future direction of medical school admissions.
Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea, stated on Facebook on the 6th, "The issue began with the increase of 2,000 medical school admissions pushed through without scientific basis or readiness in medical education settings," and emphasized that "discussions on essential medical policies based on sufficient social consensus reflecting the opinions of stakeholders must be restarted." He proposed the establishment of a public consultation committee for medical reform inclusive of citizen participation.
The candidate declared that discussions about medical school admissions should be led by the Medical Personnel Supply Forecasting Committee under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The government plans to make a final decision on the medical school admissions for the 2027 academic year through discussions with the forecasting committee followed by the Health Policy Review Committee under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. A ministry official commented, "Currently, we are in the stage of receiving recommendations for forecasting committee members and undergoing verification procedures." The forecasting committee is expected to launch as early as next month after completing the composition of its members.
Lee Jun-seok, the presidential candidate from the Reform Party, has criticized the Yoon Suk-yeol administration since it began promoting the increase in medical school admissions. Last year, he criticized on his Facebook, "How could the standard of increasing 2,000 admissions be scientific?" and this year, he remarked publicly, "The plan to lower expected incomes of doctors through the trickle-down theory of increasing medical school admissions will likely not work from the start."
Candidate Lee Jun-seok also stated during the 2025 Young Doctors Forum held at COEX in Seoul on the 17th, "I firmly believe that increasing medical school admissions should not happen," adding, "It is difficult for me to understand why there should be an increase in the medical field when a population decline is happening in all regions of Korea."
Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate from the People Power Party, expressed a stance to nullify the Yoon Suk-yeol government's increase of 2,000 medical school admissions. Kim said, "I sincerely apologize to the public, patients, and medical personnel," and added, "Medical policies will be thoroughly re-examined from the ground up and I will start afresh." He also mentioned that he intends to form a future medical committee to incorporate the voices of doctors, patients, and experts, indicating that discussions will take place regarding medical reform.
Medical students have been collectively held back from classes since last year due to the conflict with the medical community. Next year, over 6,000 students from the 24th, 25th, and 26th classes will attend classes simultaneously. Medical students say, "Even if they return to classes, chaos is expected on-site," and stress that "measures to normalize medical education are necessary." Some universities have decided to allow the 26th class to have priority in course registration when three classes attend courses at the same time.
◇Medical school, proposes exemption from criminal liability
As the doctor exodus continues, the medical gap is widening, and the local and essential healthcare systems are collapsing. A shortage of personnel is worsening in vital medical areas such as emergency care, obstetrics, and pediatrics, leading to an increasing gap. Particularly, as medical personnel are concentrated in large hospitals in the metropolitan area, the medical disparity between regions continues to increase. The medical community warns that if this situation persists, the entire regional medical system could collapse.
Candidate Lee Jae-myung identified "securing personnel" as the key solution for local, essential, and public healthcare issues. He proposed major pledges such as establishing a local doctor system, creating new local medical schools, and forming a public medical school aimed at training personnel who will serve in public health for a certain period. He announced the pledge to create public medical schools in Incheon, North Jeolla, and South Jeolla regions, and to establish a medical school in North Gyeongsang Province through 17 administrative district pledges announced on the 26th on the official website. The medical community has shown generally negative reactions to the candidate's public medical school and new medical school proposals.
Kim Moon-soo made restoring the medical safety net a core pledge. He plans to re-examine the entire medical reform policy from scratch and establish a "Future Medical Committee" directly under the president to resolve medical gaps within six months of taking office. He particularly pointed out the concentration of patients in the capital area as a major cause of medical gaps and stated that he would formulate measures to alleviate this issue. He also delineated himself from existing proposals to expand medical school admissions and establish public medical schools, stating that policies regarding local and essential healthcare will be scientifically grounded and socially agreed upon.
Lee Jun-seok centered his pledges around essential and emergency medical care. To address the legal liability issues related to medical accidents, which are cited as deterrents for healthcare personnel in essential medical care, he announced that he would introduce a system to exempt criminal liability under certain criteria in case of diagnosis. He aims to transition emergency care to a "national full responsibility system" and also plans to expand financial support, including per diem fees, bonus fees, and night duty allowances. Existing regional trauma centers will be consolidated to around six locations and restructured into a "metro-based emergency medical center system," along with plans to establish a central coordination center for emergency medical transfers and expand doctor helicopter services.
◇Doctors leaving hospitals, stance on discussions post-election
Nationwide training hospitals are recruiting additional residents until the end of this month, but residents remain indifferent. Given the uncertainty surrounding how the next government will resolve the conflict between the government and the medical community, there is a prevailing sentiment among residents to observe the situation rather than return immediately. Previously, Park Dan, vice president of KMA representing resigning residents, conveyed to the Korean Association of Resident Doctors (KARD) assembly on the 16th that "this is not a situation for returning."
A hospital official stated, "There has not been a clear change." Another hospital official said, "While we hope some senior residents will return, realistically, there are necessary things for their return to the training program." It indicates that the essential medical package policy needs to be withdrawn to allow them to return.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of resigning residents as of March was 11,713. Among them, senior residents (3rd and 4th year) accounted for 3,654. Senior residents take exams each year to become specialists. According to training regulations, if residents leave the hospital for more than three months, they cannot take the specialist exam. Training for residents began in March this year, so they must return by the end of this month to receive training starting next month and take the specialist exam early next year. This is why the government is facilitating the path for residents to return by additionally recruiting them.
If residents do not return, the government will experience a sharp decline in the number of specialists produced for the second consecutive year. The number of new specialists has fallen from 2,727 in 2024 to 509 this year. Another hospital official remarked, "If the specialists who perform the key role in hospitals decrease, it is inevitable that patient care will be disrupted."
More residents are finding re-employment as general practitioners instead of returning to training hospitals. According to data received by Kim Sun-min, a member of the Rebuilding Korea Party in the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, of the 8,791 residents who resigned or declined appointments in nationwide training hospitals, 61.4% (5,399) have found re-employment as general practitioners in medical institutions. General practitioners are doctors who do not undergo residency training and cannot become specialists. Kim stated, "The resigning residents have already found jobs in clinics," questioning, "Why should the government recruit residents again and offer them benefits?"
Kang Hee-kyung, former chairperson of the emergency measures committee at Seoul National University College of Medicine and Seoul National University Hospital (pediatric medicine professor), said, "If the issues of reimbursement, legal risks associated with medical accidents, and improvements in training environments are visibly addressed, residents and medical students will no longer be misled by false news, and they will make their judgments." She emphasized, "It is essential not for the benefit of one side, but rather for the medical community, patients, and citizens to go through a joint deliberative process to resolve the issues."