In a bid to end a protracted walkout by junior doctors, South Korea’s prime minister Han Duck-soo announced on Friday ( Apr 19 ) that the government would change its healthcare reform plans to allow medical schools to decide their own admissions for the following year.
Following the ruling group’s crushing victory in last week’s election, and amid a limbo between doctors and officials regarding plans to increase health school admissions from 3,000 to 10,000 before 2035, the move comes as a result.
Han said he backed a suggestion made on Thursday by superintendents of state-funded medical colleges to reduce the improve by half and provide universities more flexibility when determining their restrictions as a way to come to a bargain.
The rises for 2026 and beyond will continue as planned, while 32 medical schools will now be able to reduce their previously designated restrictions by up to 50 % for the following year.
Han claimed that the government had made a “bold selection” in the wake of the health community’s growing concern over the walkout, as well as the urgent need for universities to finalize their intellectual calendar for the following year.
” By proactively accepting the deans ‘ recommendations, we’re hoping to create a chance to protect medical students, normalise education and resolve the dispute,” he told a briefing.