The Seoul High Court on Thursday rejected the doctors groups’ request to suspend the government’s plan to increase the medical school admissions quota by two-thousand. 

The appellate court turned down the injunction filed by medical school professors, trainee doctors and medical students against the health and education ministers, upholding a previous ruling issued by the Seoul Administrative Court last month. 

The high court said it rejected the injunction as the parties that had filed it were “not eligible” to make such a request, echoing the view by the Seoul administrative court in the first trial.

With the court decision, the government will begin to finalize its plan to increase the quota for the first time in 27 years. 

The decision comes as medical schools will decide their admissions quotas for the 2025 academic year later this month or early next month.

Meanwhile, following the High Court's decision, legal representatives for the doctors groups said they plan to file an appeal with the Supreme Court, and urged a swift ruling.