2023-10-26 11:26:58
Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyoo-hong speaks during a press conference on Oct. 26, 2023, in Seoul.
SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s Health and Welfare Minister Cho Kyoo-hon said Thursday that the country will begin gradually increasing the enrollment fee for medical schools in 2025, to address the chronic shortage of doctors.
Cho told reporters that the government would allow some universities to increase the fee in 2025 “if they have room to increase their capacity.”
“Given the pressing nature of this matter, we will aim to increase fees for existing medical colleges. We will also continue to review the plan to open new colleges in the provinces,” he added.
The health minister’s comment comes after South Korea has been seeking to expand the quota for medical schools, set at 3,058 seats since 2006, amid growing concerns about a shortage of doctors, particularly in provincial areas.
According to data provided by the ministry, the number of doctors per 1,000 inhabitants currently stands at 2.2, well below the average of 3.7 in the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). ).
Areas outside Seoul have suffered more from doctor shortages, with figures for Gyeonggi Province and North Gyeongsang Province at 1.76 and 1.39 doctors per 1,000 residents, respectively.
The government anticipates that the shortage of doctors will further increase in the future, as South Korea will become a “super-aged society” in 2025, with the elderly accounting for 20 percent of the total population.
Amid growing criticism from doctors against the move, Cho said the government will also continue to discuss ways to improve their work environment and compensation for them.
The minister added that the Government also does not believe that it is possible to resolve all outstanding issues simply by expanding the quota, so its policy objective is to encourage doctors to “actively participate in regional and essential services.”
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