Health minister Cho Kyoo-hong has reaffirmed the need to increase the quota for medical students to address problems in the country's regional and essential medical services.

The minister issued the position on Wednesday during a parliamentary audit of his ministry at the National Assembly when asked about measures to address the problems facing the delivery of essential services in the provinces.

Cho said that in order to increase the quota, the government needs to look into each medical school’s capacity to accommodate more students and to closely examine the current situation.

He vowed to ensure that the quota is increased from 2025, although the government has yet to decide on the number, with the minister noting that it will be determined after observing supply-and-demand trends for doctors and the ratio of doctors to the population.

Recognizing the need to increase doctors in areas outside the capital, the minister said sufficient discussions are needed to decide on whether to establish a new public medical school or foster more doctors through the existing national university hospitals.