Cho called on the counterpart to submit a unified proposal on medical school admission quotas, emphasizing his firm willingness to move forward with the government’s medical reform plans.

More than 90 percent of South Korea’s 13,000 trainee doctors quit their jobs since Feb. 20 in protest against the government’s attempt to increase the number of medical school places by 2,000 a year from the current 3058 from next year. Increasing the quota in medical schools and other reform measures are conditions for resuming essential medical fields and systems in rural areas, the minister said, during a meeting of the Disaster Countermeasures and Security Headquarters.

He added that time is running out, considering the timeline the government must follow to announce detailed plans and university admission requirements for next year.

For that reason, the medical circle should quickly submit a unified proposal with a scientific basis, the head said.

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