The medical community is expected to protest against the enrollment of 4,610 students in the Korean Medical School next year

Medical schools in South Korea will enroll nearly 1,500 extra students next year, as the government presses ahead with plans to expand medical student enrollment despite strikes by interns across the country.

South Korea's government said Thursday the increase is necessary to address a shortage of doctors and that without action, the country will face 15,000 fewer doctors than it needs to maintain basic services, Reuters reported.

The Education Ministry said medical schools will enroll 4,610 students next year, slightly below President Yoon Seok-yue's goal of 5,000 students, but still 1.5 times the number of medical students in the 2024 academic year.

Groups representing doctors counter that the increase will reduce the quality of education and will not incentivize doctors to work in remote areas or less popular areas of medicine. They argue that the government should prioritize improving wages and working conditions.

The Korean Doctors Association says it will hold protests in several cities Thursday evening to raise awareness about the rising cost of hospital admission.

In response to an aging population and a shortage of doctors in basic medical fields, the South Korean government announced in early February that it would expand the number of new students in university medical schools by 2,000 in the 2025 academic year, from the current 3,058 to 5,058, and eventually to 10,000 in 2035. The plan was strongly opposed by South Korea's medical community, and about 10,000 interns and residents handed in their resignations, leaving the medical system in chaos and leaving many patients without timely treatment.

The Korean Doctors' Union, which represents healthcare workers, urged trainee doctors to return to work while asking the government to consider all options.

In a statement, the coalition said the government must come up with the right health reform package, one that interns can agree on.