The Ministry of Education stated that the proposal by the medical community to not transfer unfilled admission slots from early decision to regular decision in order to reduce medical school quotas is 'not acceptable.'
Koo Yeon-hee, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Education, said at a regular briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong on the 23rd, "I understand that the transfer of unfilled slots to regular decision is specified in the admissions guidelines for the 2025 academic year. Changing this is legally difficult according to the relevant department's opinion," she noted.
The medical community, opposing the increase in medical school quotas, proposed not transferring unfilled slots from early to regular decision after the announcement of the admissions plan for the next academic year in June. It was a kind of compromise offered in a situation where increasing medical school quotas for the next year could not be reversed. This proposal gained momentum as the number of students who did not enroll after being accepted in the early decision phase at 10 medical schools in Korea this year increased to 249, up from 162 last year.
However, the Ministry of Education effectively expressed the position that this is not possible. It is reported that the Ministry conveyed this opinion to the National Assembly. According to the National Assembly's Education Committee, the Ministry of Education delivered a review document stating, 'Since all medical schools have specified the transfer of unfilled early decision slots to regular decision in their admissions guidelines, universities are obligated to operate the selection process in compliance with this.'
The Ministry of Education also responded to a question about whether there are plans to conduct audits or disciplinary actions if some universities individually try not to transfer unfilled slots to the regular decision phase by saying, "We would need to check, but we should be able to follow the usual procedural processes," and added, "It is necessary to confirm what actions can be taken." The spokesperson stated, "Each university must transfer unfilled slots from early decision to regular decision and ensure they are selected."
Meanwhile, when asked about whether there are plans to propose exercising the right to request reconsideration (veto) if the amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which defines AI digital textbooks as 'educational materials' of a reference nature, passes in the plenary session, Koo, the Spokesperson, said, "We have to decide while observing the situation."