Seoul: Trainee doctors who had resigned in protest against the previous administration's decision to increase medical school admissions are scheduled to return to hospitals this week, potentially alleviating the medical service vacuum, industry sources reported.
According to Yonhap News Agency, their return on Monday follows the completion of the second-half recruitment process last week. The health ministry is expected to announce the exact number of new or returning trainee doctors in the coming days. At Seoul's major hospitals, the application rate ranged from 60 to 80 percent, fulfilling approximately 70 percent of the quota at each institution.
The re-entry of trainee doctors is anticipated to reduce the workload at hospitals, which had previously depended heavily on them before the protest began early last year. Medical services that had been halted may soon resume, and waiting times at hospitals are also expected to decrease.
The dispute began in February 2024, when thousands of trainee doctors left their positions, and many medical students boycotted classes in opposition to the government's plan to increase medical school admissions by 2,000 to around 5,000 annually starting in 2025. The collective action by medical students and trainee doctors ended after the government reversed its decision earlier this year, restoring the 2026 admissions quota to its previous level of about 3,000.
Medical industry workers note that challenges remain, as more trainee doctors choose to work in hospitals within the capital area rather than those outside it, and avoid essential fields such as emergency rooms, pediatrics, and obstetrics.