Seoul: South Korea has decided to rescind its previous order on increasing the medical school enrollment quotas and will revert to the numbers from two years ago for the year 2026.

According to Anadolu Agency, officials have stated that the government plans to reduce medical school admissions from 5,058 to 3,058, aligning with the figures from 2024 and prior years. This decision comes after a temporary increase last year, which saw the quota rise by 2,000 in an attempt to address a persistent shortage of doctors. The increase had triggered one of the world's longest medical strikes, severely impacting the country's healthcare system.

Education Minister Lee Ju-ho is expected to formally announce the decision at a press conference at the Seoul Government Complex on Thursday. The government had previously assured that it would reinstate the previous enrollment numbers if all medical students returned to their classes by the end of March, following a year-long academic boycott.