As the government discusses plans to expand medical school enrollment for the 2027 academic year, the Korean Medical Association Organization (KMA) said it will watch the outcome of the Health Care Policy Deliberation Committee (HPC) meeting set for early next month before deciding on the level of response, including collective action.
On the 31st, the KMA held a national representatives' meeting at its Yongsan-gu headquarters in Seoul and demanded in a resolution that "the government must recognize the realities of medical education on the ground in 2027 and immediately halt an unprepared enrollment expansion."
The KMA argued that increasing enrollment without adequate educational infrastructure cannot ensure proper education. Citing a lack of lecture halls, clinical training capacity and faculty, it reaffirmed its position that "a scale the field cannot accommodate is unacceptable." It also stressed that an unprepared expansion could leave a significant fiscal burden in the long term, and said the impact on National Health Insurance finances hidden behind the rationale for expansion must be disclosed transparently.
KMA President Kim Taek-woo said the government is again leaning toward a numbers-focused discussion, urging a cautious review based on scientific, objective indicators and procedures. Kim noted, "Sixty-seven and a half percent of medical schools nationwide have exceeded lecture hall capacity, and it is not easy to secure basic medical science faculty who meet standards," adding, "An excessive increase could lead to a decline in the quality of medical services."
About 300 people attended the meeting, including officials from medical organizations and class-year delegates under the Korean Association of Medical Colleges and Graduate Schools Students. In a closed-door discussion after the resolution was adopted, participants reportedly floated a range of response scenarios, including shifting the executive leadership structure, collective action such as a general strike, and the need for a doctors' union.
The KMA plans to set detailed measures depending on the HPC outcome, which is expected to be held around the 3rd. While keeping dialogue channels open, it is also leaving room for rallies and a general strike; if a response on the level of a general strike is discussed, a final decision will be made through a vote of all members. Spokesperson Kim Sung-geun said, "We want to avoid methods that cause public inconvenience as much as possible, but if a conclusion emerges that is extremely difficult to accept, we cannot rule out the possibility of a hard-line response."