Gov't to cut med school quota if students return by March

Offer will be revoked if enrollees remain on leave

By Jung Da-hyun

The government will reduce the number of students it plans to admit to medical schools to 3,058, in response to a request from medical professionals, but only if students on leave return to their studies, the Ministry of Education announced on Friday. If they fail to do so, the decision will be revoked.

The decision comes amid urgent concerns over disruptions to medical education, as the semester has already begun and the deadline for determining the 2026 medical school enrollment quota is approaching, while most students have yet to resume their studies.

"It would be ideal to resolve all issues and conflicts surrounding medical reform, but realistically, it is not an easy task," Education Minister Lee Ju-ho said.

"The ministry has been in urgent discussions with the medical education sector, emphasizing the need to address the ongoing disruptions as the new semester has already begun and the deadline for determining medical school admission quotas approaches."

The Korean government planned to increase the medical school quota from the previous 3,058 slots starting in 2025 to address a shortage of doctors, particularly in rural areas and critical medical fields such as pediatrics and surgery. However, doctors protested, arguing that the issue was not about the number of doctors, but rather the distribution, poor working conditions and systemic problems within the health care system, which led to strikes and disruptions.

Last month, the Korea Association of Medical Colleges officially requested that the government restore the admission quota to 3,058 — the level before the recent increase — stating that it will ensure students on leave return. The association of medical school presidents also endorsed this request.

In response, the government stated that it would respect each medical school’s opinion in declining the 2026 admission quota, on the condition that all students who took a leave of absence return by the end of March.

If students fail to return by the deadline, the government made it clear that the adjustment in enrollment quotas proposed by medical schools would be revoked, and the quota will remain at 5,058 students, last year’s increased figure.

The education ministry also emphasized that conditions are in place for students to return, particularly those from the 2024 cohort and first-years.

The mass leave of absence by medical students over the past year has significantly disrupted medical education. As of Jan. 9, a total of 2,996 students from 2024, or 90 percent of the cohort, remain on leave.

This has created the need for a new education plan to accommodate both returning students and incoming students for 2025. A total of 7,623 students will need to be educated simultaneously, more than double the first-year intake for 2024.

To address this, the government and universities have proposed several models, such as simultaneously teaching both students from 2024 and first-years, or adjusting the curriculum timeline for 2024 students.

The ministry stated that individual medical schools will have the flexibility to choose the model that best suits their circumstances, rather than the government imposing a single approach.

Meanwhile, the government urged medical students to return to school, but maintained a firm stance that there would be no further changes to the academic calendar to accommodate their return, unlike last year.

"Each university will strictly enforce all regulations, including academic policies," Lee said. "If students do not return this year, consequences such as academic warnings, repeating the year or expulsion will be strictly applied in accordance with school regulations."