Deans of 40 medical schools nationwide agreed to inform the government that it would be difficult to increase the quota for medical school admissions for the 2026 academic year by even one student. The deans stated that the current quota of 3,058 students is the absolute limit.
According to the medical community on the 13th, the Korea Association of Medical Colleges and Medical Graduate Schools (KAMC) held an online meeting on the 11th and made this decision. The association specified, "We request the government to set the maximum quota for medical school admissions for the 2026 academic year at 3,058 students (no increase)."
At the beginning of last year, the government announced plans to increase the medical school quota by 2,000 students each year for five years, totaling an additional 10,000 doctors starting from the 2025 academic year. As a result, this year's medical school quota has increased by 1,509 students compared to before. However, this was met with criticism and backlash from the medical community. In order to resolve the conflict between the government and the medical community, on the 10th, the government stated it would re-discuss the quota for the 2026 academic year from scratch. Along with this, it promised to address issues such as returning resident training exceptions and deferral of military service.
To announce the admission quotas for each university by May, the quota for the 2026 academic year must be finalized by February. This is why the deans of medical schools voiced their opinions.
The government's policy on increasing the medical school quota was not based on scientific evidence, and it is argued that it would be difficult to accommodate both returning medical students who took leaves of absence due to opposition to the increased quota and the newly admitted students, which is a primary reason for the claim that the quota cannot be increased for the 2026 academic year. Previously, Park Dan, chairperson of the resident council, criticized, "Even increasing the quota by just 1,000 students compared to the current amount would make education impossible," and noted that due to the increase in the medical school quota and returning students, there could be more than 10,000 students in one grade by 2026.
The medical association stated, "We will do our best to create an environment where students can quickly return this year and strongly request the government to provide solid support to create an environment that allows for the best education for students." It continued, "Starting with the 2027 academic year, the medical school quota should be determined based on reasonable estimates by an organization in which the medical community is a core participant, and it must be decided with the consent of the medical community." It also stated that it would present these demands at a conference led by the Korean Medical Association.