In a bid to end a 13-month dispute that has seen thousands of trainee doctors walk off the job and medical students boycotting classes, South Korea’s education ministry announced on Friday that it will freeze the number of new medical students at approximately 3,000 per year.
The proposal, outlined by Education Minister Lee Ju-ho, is contingent on all trainee doctors returning by the end of March.
The dispute, which began in February 2024, erupted in response to a government plan to increase admissions to medical schools by 2,000 students starting in 2025. Officials argued that the expansion was necessary to address a projected shortage of doctors—particularly in remote areas and amid a rapidly ageing population. However, many in the medical community have maintained that issues such as inadequate pay and challenging work conditions should be addressed before increasing student numbers.
“Our government’s position that the medical school quota should be increased has not changed. But restoring trust between the medical community and the government is also very important,” Minister Lee said during the press conference.
The proposal marks a step back from previous attempts by the administration, led by impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, to push through reforms aimed at boosting the number of medical professionals. In January, South Korea’s health ministry reported that about 90% of trainee doctors had resigned out of the 13,531 eligible for hospital appointments, while many medical students had also walked out of classrooms.
Lee Jong-tae, president of the Korea Association of Medical Colleges, expressed hope that the new offer would encourage students to return to their studies. “I am asking all of us to work to have our students come back now,” he said.
The drawn-out dispute has already strained emergency care services, with delays and cancellations of surgeries reported in several hospitals. Political science professor Shin Yul of Myongji University noted that public support for the government’s original plan had waned, a sentiment exacerbated by recent political upheaval following President Yoon’s impeachment over his brief imposition of martial law.
As the government works to resolve the dispute and rebuild trust with the medical community, stakeholders on both sides emphasize that any long-term solution must balance the need for increased medical personnel with improvements in working conditions and overall healthcare infrastructure.
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In an unprecedented twist to U.S. immigration enforcement, hundreds of migrants, mostly Venezuelans, are being held in one of the world’s most notorious mega-prisons. It’s not in Texas or Arizona, but 70 kilometres east of San Salvador, under the iron grip of Nayib Bukele’s security state.
President Donald Trump is standing by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after new revelations that he shared sensitive military information via a private messaging app — not once, but twice.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed holding direct talks with Ukraine for the first time in years, a move that follows mounting pressure from the United States to show a real interest in peace. The statement comes days after Moscow’s one-day Easter truce failed to hold.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon are set to announce a new phase of defence and security cooperation between their countries during a meeting on Tuesday, according to a statement from Starmer's office.
In an unprecedented twist to U.S. immigration enforcement, hundreds of migrants, mostly Venezuelans, are being held in one of the world’s most notorious mega-prisons. It’s not in Texas or Arizona, but 70 kilometres east of San Salvador, under the iron grip of Nayib Bukele’s security state.
President Donald Trump is standing by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after new revelations that he shared sensitive military information via a private messaging app — not once, but twice.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed holding direct talks with Ukraine for the first time in years, a move that follows mounting pressure from the United States to show a real interest in peace. The statement comes days after Moscow’s one-day Easter truce failed to hold.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has praised France’s rejection of a controversial encryption bill, warning that weakening privacy protections would do little to stop crime but could endanger millions of law-abiding users.
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