The government will increase the quota for trainee doctors outside the capital region starting in 2025 and plans to finalize the quota for each region by November this year.

Second vice health minister Park Min-soo said on Friday that the decision was reached in consideration of a regional imbalance in the supply of doctors, as many graduates of medical schools outside the capital area end up relocating to Seoul and the surrounding region for their medical training.

According to government data, the number of students at medical schools outside of the capital region will account for 72-point-four percent of the total after the implementation of the quota hike for the 2025 academic year. The number of trainee doctors outside of the capital area, however, currently amounts to 45 percent of the total.

In the mid to long term, the government plans to consider linking the quota for training to the quota for medical schools within the same region.

The quota hike for each region is expected to be finalized by November, following a collection of opinions from trainee doctors, training hospitals, and a training environment assessment committee.