Court trying to look into the essence... "The issue is whether the 2,000-person increase meets the 'public interest'"

◀ Anchor ▶

The conflict between the government and the Medical Association has continued for more than two months, and the policy to increase the number of medical school students by 2,000, which became the pretext for it, is facing a critical juncture in court.

In relation to the medical school's application to suspend the increase in medical school capacity, the court said it would receive evidence from the government and consider it.

They also requested that the increase in troops not be confirmed until the middle of this month.

Reporter Jeon Dong-hyuk pointed out which issue will be the key variable.

◀ Report ▶

Last month, the application to suspend the medical school expansion, filed by medical school professors, residents, and medical students, was dismissed without even receiving a decision from the first trial court.

Since the direct interested party in the increase is the university president, professors and residents are believed to have no right to raise objections.

However, the Seoul High Court's appellate court pointed out that there was no reason for the president, who benefits from the increase in personnel, to engage in a legal dispute.

Therefore, the court indicated that it would judge not only the eligibility of the applicants but also the legality of the decision to increase the number of personnel.

We requested the government to provide a detailed basis for the '2,000-person increase', from on-site inspection results and meeting minutes to future support plans and required budget.

[Nari Park/Attorney]

“You can think of it as saying, ‘We will look at all the submitted materials and make a decision within a few weeks.’ I think there is a high possibility that a decision will be made within May.”

Given the nature of the case that examines the legality of administrative dispositions, the key issue appears to be whether increasing the number of medical schools is essentially in the ‘public interest.’

[Seong Bong-geun/Professor at Seokyeong University (majoring in administrative law)]

“The most important thing is whether there is a risk that it will have a significant impact on public welfare. Is it a personal matter that cannot protect the various interests of the doctors, or is it something of some public interest?”

President Lim Hyun-taek of the Korean Medical Association, who held the inauguration ceremony today, welcomed the court, saying it had put the brakes on the government's unilateral policy push.

[Lim Hyun-taek/President of the Korean Medical Association]

“The government itself acknowledged that the number of 2,000 students had no basis in allowing national medical schools to voluntarily adjust their quota.”

The final number of students enrolled in next year's entrance exam for 31 medical schools was found to be 1,469.

The University Education Council announced that it will not announce plans for implementing next year's college admissions process until the middle of this month, when the court decision is made.

This is Jeon Dong-hyuk from MBC News.

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