As the start date of the spring semester in 2025 approaches, the field of medical education in South Korea is facing an unprecedented crisis. According to the latest data from the South Korean Ministry of Education, 10 out of 40 medical schools in the country have zero enrollment, accounting for a quarter. This means that these medical schools have no students participating in course selection from the first year to the fourth year of undergraduate studies. Although some universities will initiate by election procedures in March, educators are concerned that the crisis caused by the controversy over medical student enrollment expansion is still brewing.
Controversy over enrollment expansion triggers a chain reaction
The root cause of this crisis can be traced back to the South Korean government's medical school expansion plan launched in 2024. The plan aims to add approximately 2000 medical students annually within 5 years to alleviate the shortage of doctors in China. However, the medical community strongly opposes this policy, believing that expanding enrollment will lead to excessive healthcare, collapse of the medical insurance system, and exacerbate the professional pressure on doctors. Tens of thousands of interns and resident doctors have protested through collective resignations, strikes, and other means, and many medical students at universities have also expressed their dissatisfaction through strikes and suspensions.
After the ongoing controversy, although the South Korean government expressed an open attitude towards adjusting the enrollment quota for the 2026 academic year in January 2025, the expansion plan for the 2025 academic year has been officially implemented, and the total number of medical school admissions in the country has increased to 4610, an increase of 1497 from the previous year. However, this policy did not gain recognition from the medical community and instead sparked even more intense resistance. According to data from Busan University School of Medicine, out of 746 current students, 613 are still on leave, causing serious disruptions to teaching plans and a shortage of faculty and facilities resources.
Course selection encountering coldness exposes deep-seated contradictions
According to a report from the Ministry of Education, as of February 25th, the number of course selections for medical schools nationwide was only 4219, far below expectations. Although the enrollment rate of freshmen in 9 public universities reached 68.5% (852/1244), some private universities have fallen into the dilemma of "no students to teach" due to collective student suspensions. An education official pointed out that the phenomenon of new students not actually arriving on campus after registering last year may repeat itself, and "if students continue to resist, the medical school will face a systemic collapse".
According to an analysis by the South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo, if the wave of student suspensions continues in 2025, the education chain of medical schools will be disrupted from 2026 onwards, directly affecting the cultivation of medical talents. Congressman Chen Shanmei warned, "The low enrollment and return rates of medical schools reflect the helpless state of the medical education industry. If the Ministry of Education does not take action, chaos will further escalate
The government's slow response has exacerbated the crisis
Faced with the deadlock, the South Korean government has repeatedly called on the medical community to restart dialogue, but no substantive solution has been introduced so far. Although the Ministry of Education promised to launch medical education reform measures in March on February 27th, specific measures have not been announced yet. The medical industry insists on withdrawing the enrollment expansion plan, with a significant difference in stance between the two sides. It is worth noting that the recruitment market for interns in South Korea has been cold for several consecutive rounds, with a vacancy application rate of less than 2%. Some hospitals have had to consider introducing foreign doctors to alleviate the shortage of manpower.
Where is the future going?
This medical political conflict not only concerns the allocation of educational resources, but also reflects the deep structural problems of the South Korean healthcare system. The coexistence of a shortage of doctors and job burnout, as well as the disconnect between policy formulation and industry demands, have plunged the South Korean healthcare system into a vicious cycle of "difficult reform, even harder without reform". If the government and the healthcare industry cannot reach a compromise in the short term, the dual crisis of medical school enrollment and teaching may continue for a long time, ultimately harming public health and well-being.
At present, the "open adjustment" statement of South Korean Acting President Choi Sang mu is in sharp contrast to the slow action of the Ministry of Education. The public opinion generally believes that only through transparent negotiation and policy flexibility can the deadlock be broken and a sustainable balance point be found for medical education and healthcare systems.
(Editer：admin)
