Medical associations join bipartisan talks on expanding medical school quotas

The Korean Medical Association, a leading academic body in the medical field, and the Korean Medical School Association, representing medical school deans, have agreed to join the bipartisan parliamentary deliberations proposed by Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, on Tuesday. The talks will focus on increasing medical school quotas, marking a shift from their earlier stance of refusing participation unless the government adjusted next year’s quotas. While some hope this step could help address the current medical staffing shortage, others worry the discussions might lack substance.

In a joint statement, the Korean Medical Association and KAMC expressed, “We can no longer stand by and witness the breakdown of the medical training and healthcare systems. We join these discussions out of a critical sense of urgency to restore normalcy to medical care.”

However, mindful of internal criticism, they emphasized their opposition to the government’s unilateral policies, while stressing the need to address the failures in healthcare policy. They proposed key agenda items for the talks, including granting medical schools autonomy over leave approvals, revisiting medical school quotas for 2025 and 2026, and safeguarding the independence of the Korean Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation. These issues reflect the medical community’s long-standing demands. However, some hardliners, including the National Medical School Professors Emergency Response Committee and the Korean Medical Association, objected, arguing that joining without a commitment to reconsider next year’s increase would merely serve to justify the government’s stance.

In response to their participation, Han Dong-hoon expressed his appreciation, saying, “This decision could be the starting point for addressing the long-standing medical crisis that has caused public inconvenience.” The People Power Party plans to launch the ‘ruling and opposition party legislative consultative body’ next week with the Korean Medical Association and KAMC and hopes to eventually involve other medical groups, such as the Korean Medical Association. Party spokesperson Han Ji-ah remarked, “After extensive communication, the participation of key organizations has accelerated progress. We will begin with this council and work to expand it to include other groups.”


Sung-Min Park min@donga.com · Seong-Mo Kim mo@donga.com · Ye-Na Choi yena@donga.com