Some doctors say the increase in admissions will compromise the quality of medical education, a concern about 200 doctors and medical college students raised at a protest rally in the southwestern province of North Jeolla.
“We took to the streets like this because we are concerned that South Korea’s medical system, which is the most envied in the world, would collapse,” Um Chul, head of the Jeonbuk Medical Association, was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying.
“Doctors aren’t playing turf wars,” he added.
About 300 doctors in Seoul held a rally near the presidential office calling on the government to scrap its plan.
Government officials are calling on doctors to stop their protests and prioritise patients.
Many Koreans support the government’s plan, with a recent Gallup Korea poll showing about 76 per cent of respondents in favour, regardless of political affiliation.
During a hearing in parliament, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo rejected claims by some doctors that the plan to increase the number of medical students was aimed at gaining votes ahead of April’s general election.
The protesters say South Korea has enough doctors, and that the government needs to increase pay and reduce the workload, particularly in key areas such as paediatrics and emergency medicine, before recruiting more students.
Motel rooms and rental houses were fully booked near Seoul’s major hospitals by patients from the countryside whose procedures have been delayed, newspaper JoongAng Ilbo reported.