The Korea Medical Association(KMA) has voiced unequivocal opposition to the government’s push to unilaterally increase the enrollment quota for medical students in the nation for the first time since 2006.

A representative of the association on Monday slammed the government’s announcement that a significant increase is under consideration, warning against the absence of related legal revisions and financial investment to mitigate the side effects of such an expansion.

The representative warned that such “political notions” will destroy the healthcare system and threaten people’s wellbeing, urging active consultations between the health ministry and the KMA in accordance with procedures to resolve conflicts that will arise from an increased quota.

The KMA is set to hold a meeting with other provincial and regional representatives in the medical industry on Tuesday to share opinions and reveal its position on the government’s measures.

The move comes amid consideration by the administration to expand the annual intake of medical students by one-thousand over the current limit of three-thousand-58 that has been in effect since 2006.