Cho Kyoo-hong, Minister of Health and Welfare, hinted at the possibility that the decision on the number of medical school admissions for the 2026 academic year could be postponed until April. So far, the Ministry of Education had maintained that it would decide the admissions by the end of February.
During a full meeting of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee on the morning of the 18th, Minister Cho responded to a question about when the deadline for determining next year's medical school admissions would be, saying, "The Minister of Education said the end of February, but I understand that last year the number was reduced from 2,000 to 1,509 by the end of April."
The 1,509 mentioned by Minister Cho is the increased number of medical school admissions for this year. This indicates that the size of next year's medical school admissions could also be finalized by the end of April this year.
In fact, the Ministry of Health and Welfare submitted a revised bill to the National Assembly on the 17th concerning the establishment of a committee for estimating the supply of healthcare personnel, which contained the possibility of changing next year's medical school admissions by April. Even after the committee and the Health Policy Review Committee (HPRC) review, if it remains difficult to determine the scale of human resources training for doctors in the 2026 academic year, universities may change the number of medical school admissions until April 30, considering educational conditions.
This seems to reflect concerns that it would be difficult to determine next year's medical school admissions by the end of February through the committee that is being proposed for establishment. The welfare committee held a public hearing regarding the committee bill on the 14th and gathered opinions from stakeholders, including the medical community. However, opinions were divided on whether to limit the committee's authority to consultation or to grant voting rights.
Minister Cho said, "Just because the committee is legalized doesn't mean everything will be resolved, but I think it could provide a clue to the solution," adding, "If the National Assembly quickly legalizes it, it could be useful for the decision on the admissions for 2026." Previously, Minister Cho had responded concerning who would decide the medical school admissions, saying, "According to the enforcement ordinance of the Higher Education Act, the Minister of Education is to determine the admissions in consultation with the heads of relevant departments regarding professional personnel."