Jang Sang-yoon, senior presidential secretary for social policy, speaks during a press briefing at the presidential office in Seoul, Sept. 19. Yonhap

The presidential office remains resolute in its stance on the 2025 medical school enrollment quota, maintaining that any adjustments are no longer feasible as the college admission cycle has already begun.

Senior Presidential Secretary for Social Policy Jang Sang-yoon emphasized this during a radio interview on Friday, confirming that the government has no intention of revisiting the decision for the 2025 academic year.

"Since the early admissions process is already underway and much of the university entrance procedures have progressed, the time for making decisions on the 2025 academic year quota has essentially passed the point of discussion," Jang said.

Addressing concerns raised by the medical community, Jang explained that fears about a surplus of medical professionals are unfounded.

He noted that if the retirement age for doctors is set at 70, around 32,000 doctors will retire over the next decade. With the number of maximum medical school graduates — including the government's desired plan of increasing by more than 10,000 by 2035 plus the original number of graduates — projected to match these retiring doctors, Jang said that the impact of increasing the quota would be minimal, dismissing worries about declining working conditions or income for physicians.

However, major doctors' advocacies, including the Korean Medical Association, have been vocal in their opposition to the medical school quota increase. They are demanding that the government nullify the decision on the quota increase for 2025 of about 1,500 and start discussions from scratch for the 2026 academic year.

Against the backdrop of these conflicting positions between the government and doctors' associations, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) has taken a more conciliatory approach.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, left, and People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon shake hands before they discuss how to address medical reform conflicts at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

The mediative stance is pronounced particularly by PPP leader Han Dong-hoon. He's been actively engaged with the medical community, encouraging them to join a bipartisan consultative body, which will consist of representatives from the ruling and opposition parties, medical professionals, and government officials.

Although Han has positioned himself as a mediator since first proposing the consultation body on Sept. 6, little progress has been made. The unresolved issue of the medical school quota adjustment for 2025 has widened the gap between the government and the medical community, delaying Han's original plan to launch the consultation body before the Chuseok holiday in the past month.

Furthermore, Han's request for a private meeting with President Yoon Suk Yeol to mediate the medical school quota issue was reportedly declined, highlighting potential friction between the ruling party and the presidential office.

President Yoon Suk Yeol and PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, left, walk at a garden inside the presidential office in Seoul on Sept. 24. Courtesy of presidential office

Sources familiar with the issues told The Korea Times that the presidential office has been internally stressed over Han's conciliatory approach, which diverges from its firmer stance. The presidential office worries that Han's strategy might exacerbate the current stalemate with the medical community, rather than resolving it, possibly complicating efforts to address the ongoing healthcare reform discussions.

Amid the discord between the ruling party and the presidential office, Han canceled a schedule at the end of last month to attend a media outlet's anniversary event alongside Yoon to instead meet with a key figure from the medical community. This move, seen as prioritizing mediation in the medical reform deadlock, further distanced him from the presidential office's firmer stance on the issue.

Han also went on to meet with Prime Minister Han Deok-soo on Thursday, reaffirming that the government's priority is to kickstart dialogue within the bipartisan consultation body. Han emphasized during the meeting that "the government's clear stance is to engage in discussions without preconditions or predetermined agendas."

This led to speculation that the government might be retreating from its firm position on the 2025 medical school quota. Yet, the senior social policy presidential aide's media interview on Friday has drawn a line, indicating that the government's stance remains unchanged regarding the 2025 quota.

President Yoon Suk Yeol greets key PPP leaders at the dinner hosted by the presidential office in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of presidential office

Despite these challenges, Yoon reiterated the importance of pushing forward with medical reforms, stressing the need to prevent distortions in the healthcare market due to a stagnant supply of doctors.

During a dinner with the PPP leadership on Wednesday, Yoon emphasized that "as demand for medical care increases, the stagnant supply of new medical doctors will distort the health care market. Therefore, medical reform must proceed without wavering."

However, the president indicated that while the government remains steadfast on the 2025 issue, it is still open to discussions regarding medical school enrollment quotas starting in 2026.

As of 2020, Korea had 2.51 doctors per 1,000 people, significantly below the OECD average of 3.6, further fueling debates about expanding the medical workforce.

Korea's medical school enrollment has remained fixed at 3,058 students for nearly two decade, despite the growing demand for more health care professionals. This ongoing debate highlights the need for a careful balance between addressing healthcare needs and responding to concerns from the medical community.