The government pledged to increase the number of faculty at national university medical schools by one-thousand by 2027, in line with the first expansion of the medical school admissions quota in 27 years.

At a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on Friday, the government said 26 medical schools outside the capital region will select 60 percent of their new students next year through regional talent screenings.
 
The headquarters said the government will work together with local governments and universities to ensure that students selected through regional screenings are fostered to become talented medical professionals and serve in their regions.

It also vowed to swiftly finalize the scope of the faculty increase next year so that the new members of the workforce can be hired by early 2025, aiming for the total expansion to reach one-thousand by 2027.

As for the members of the medical community that staged a candlelight rally the previous day in protest of the finalized quota hike, the headquarters urged them to more actively engage in dialogue with the government.