The photo shows a promotional banner at a medical school entrance exam academy in Daechi-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul—an area widely regarded as the epicenter of South Korea’s private education industry. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s decision to expand medical school admissions by an average of 668 students annually over the next five years is expected to reverberate far beyond university campuses, reshaping the country’s already intense college entrance landscape.
Under a plan announced Tuesday by the Health Ministry, existing medical schools will admit 490 additional students in the 2027 academic year, with further increases in subsequent years. By 2030 and 2031, annual admissions will rise by more than 800 seats when newly established public and regional medical schools are included.
The expansion, aimed at addressing chronic physician shortages outside Seoul, will largely benefit 32 universities in provincial areas through a “regional doctor” track that restricts eligibility to graduates of local middle and high schools.
Admissions experts say the policy is likely to intensify competition, particularly among top science-track students. Even before the announcement, a surge in repeat test-takers — known in Korea as “N-sujaeng,” or students retaking the college entrance exam — had been anticipated following last year’s notoriously difficult test.
The photo shows a medical school in Seoul (Yonhap)
When medical school seats were increased by roughly 1,500 for the 2025 admissions cycle, more than 161,000 high school graduates retook the national exam — the highest number in 21 years. Though the current increase is smaller, analysts expect a similar influx of repeat candidates in the 2027 cycle.
“The preference for medical school has become a constant,” said Woo Yeon-cheol, director of admissions strategy at Jinhaksa, a private education firm. “If quotas rise, so will the number of students willing to try again — even those already enrolled at top universities.”
Admissions consultants predict that students admitted to elite engineering programs at Seoul National, Yonsei and Korea universities may opt to take a leave of absence and retake the exam in pursuit of a medical degree.
The photo shows a medical school in Seoul where a graduation ceremony was held on Feb. 10. (Yonhap)
The policy could also prompt geographic shifts. Because eligibility for many of the additional seats is limited to local graduates, some families are reportedly considering relocating to provincial areas so their children can qualify. Current middle school students may apply as long as they attend and graduate from high school in the designated region.
“There could be movement from Seoul to neighboring provinces, and within provinces to districts eligible for the regional track,” said Lim Sung-ho, head of Jongro Academy. “For families with younger children, school district decisions will take on new weight.”
While competition overall is expected to intensify, some analysts believe admission thresholds at provincial medical schools could decline, since applicants from Seoul’s most competitive districts will be ineligible.
The photo shows an entrance to a medical school building in Seoul. (Yonhap)
The ripple effects may extend to dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary programs, which often compete for the same high-achieving applicants.
For policymakers, the expansion is a structural reform aimed at correcting regional disparities in medical care. For students and families, it may mark the start of another cycle of heightened academic maneuvering — one that could reshape not only exam halls, but also migration patterns and educational strategies across the country.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
