The South Korean government has announced plans to increase the enrollment quota for medical schools, starting from the 2025 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), the Korean equivalent of the SAT. The Ministry of Health and Welfare stated on Feb. 6 that the additional quota will primarily benefit rural medical schools. Medical schools outside of the greater Seoul area will need to allocate over 60 percent of their enrollment quota to students who have spent their high school years in the regions where the universities are located.
Critics of the government’s decision are concerned that it may result in a mass exodus of students leaving the greater Seoul area. This concern arises from the already fierce competition for medical school enrollment in South Korea, as seen in areas like Daechi-dong, where there has been a growing demand for medical career preparation, evident even at the elementary school level. In fact, following the government’s announcement, parents flooded online communities with inquiries about the admissions process for rural medical schools.
Experts caution that the impact of the government’s plan remains uncertain. Woo Youn-cheol, a team leader at Jinhak Educational Assessment Research Institute, said, “While the increase in quota is viewed positively for rural areas, uncertainty remains regarding the extent of student migration and the specific quotas allocated by universities.”
Some experts stress the need for Ministry of Education announcements on how medical school quotas will be distributed among universities. Kim Byung-jin, chief research director at Etoos Academy, said, “It is also crucial to retain local talent in their respective regions and find solutions to prevent graduates from regional medical schools from relocating to the greater Seoul area.”
