Doctors who received state support through scholarships, training and lodging costs may be required to work outside the capital region for a fixed term under a new government-proposed initiative seeking to ease the provincial doctor shortage.

Under the health ministry's measures announced on Thursday, universities, local governments and medical students will sign an agreement offering a scholarship, training and housing support in return for practicing in the area for some time.

Doctors can also sign a long-term deal with a regional essential medical institution with guaranteed income and housing support.

The medical school admissions quota for applicants from outside the capital area will be increased, while medical malpractice insurance will be applied at a higher standard in regions deemed vulnerable to shortages in essential medical care.

The government plans to inject over ten trillion won, or around seven-point-five billion U.S. dollars, by 2028 to raise insurance fees for essential medical personnel based on level of difficulty, risk, and overnight shift, with doctors in obstetrics and pediatrics prioritized first.