Medical schools finalize admission quota increase for 2025 at around 1,500 seats

Universities have finalized their decisions to increase the combined medical school admission quota for next year by around 1,500 seats, less than the 2,000 slots the government had initially permitted, education ministry officials said Thursday. The education ministry made the announcement as a massive walkout by trainee doctors entered its fourth month in protest of the medical school quota hike which they say would compromise the quality of health care services and education. According to the ministry and the Korean Council for University Education, an association of four-year universities, 31 medical schools have submitted their final admission plans for 2025, reflecting a total increase of 1,469 slots. They were among 32 medical schools that were allotted a total of 2,000 additional admission seats by the government in March. Eight medical schools in Seoul were not given any additional slots. Depending on the decision by one remaining medical school, Cha University, the total combined increase would range from 1,489-1,509 because the university's current quota is 40 and the school is expected to seek an increase between 20 and 40 seats. The government had originally allotted a total of 2,000 additional admission seats to the 32 medical schools outside Seoul, but later decided to allow the schools to flexibly adjust their respective admission quotas for next year within the 50 percent to 100 percent range of their newly allotted quotas. Including the current total quota of 3,058 for the country's 40 medical schools, the revised medical school quota for 2025 will range from 4,547 to 4,567 in total. Nine state-run medical schools outside the capital area have decided to utilize only about 50 percent of their allotted quotas, while most private schools have chosen to fully utilize their allotted quotas in their 2025 admission plans. According to the universities' related admission plans for 2026, the medical schools are expected to fully utilize their allotted quotas in 2026, resulting in an addition of 2,000 more admission seats compared to the 2024 level. Source: Yonhap News Agency