The government has reiterated its intent to swiftly pursue its plan to increase the quota for medical students in the nation to address a possible collapse in essential medical care. 

Health minister Cho Kyoo-hong said during a briefing on the nation’s key strategy regarding essential medical services on Thursday that the government has faithfully carried out duties to increase the number of medical school students starting from 2025.

Cho expressed hope that the medical groups, which are opposed to the increased quota, will actively cooperate in consultations with the government as he said protecting the people’s lives and keeping them healthy are the basic responsibilities of both the government and the medical sector. 

His comments came as the health ministry unveiled plans to boost essential medical services of national university hospitals in rural areas to levels of the nation’s top five hospitals, the Seoul National University Hospital, the Samsung Medical Center, the Catholic University of Korea Saint Mary’s Hospital, Severance Hospital and Asan Medical Center. 

Under the plan, the government agency charged with national university hospitals would be switched from the education ministry to the health ministry in a bid to pursue balanced progress in the areas of treatment, research and education. 

Cho said if national university hospitals come to be under the jurisdiction of the health ministry, the connection between such hospitals and rural areas’ essential medical care system will be strengthened, enabling patients to receive high-quality service without having to go to large medical centers in the Seoul metro area.