Overview
- Health officials set the admissions cap to rise from 3,058 in 2026 to 3,548 in 2027, reaching 3,871 by 2031.
- Of the added seats, 2,942 go to existing regional schools from 2027 to 2031, with 400 assigned to new public and regional schools launching in 2030 and 2031.
- All additional students will enter regional physician tracks across eight non-Seoul regions, with government financial support contingent on post-graduation service in public institutions for 10 years.
- The plan was adopted after seven rounds of discussions with stakeholders as Korean Medical Association leaders walked out and boycotted the vote.
- Officials project 3,542 more doctors by 2037 but still a shortfall of roughly 4,724, with school-by-school allocations to be finalized by the Education Ministry in April.