In an interview with KBS, Cho said, "For 2026, if the medical community presents a reasonable alternative, we can review the admissions numbers with a fresh perspective."

"The government has proposed an increase of 2,000, but since the medical community has criticized this as unscientific and lacking evidence, we are asking what they believe would be a scientifically based and well-founded admission number," Cho added, reports Yonhap news agency.

The Yoon Suk Yeol administration has vowed to increase the medical school admissions quota by 2,000 seats per year over the next five years or so to address a shortage of doctors and finalised in June a quota hike of some 1,500 students for next year.

The Korean Medical Association has demanded the government cancel its plan to raise the medical school admissions quota for 2025 and 2026 and discuss the possible quota adjustment for 2027 or afterward.

On difficulties of launching a proposed consultative body between the political and medical communities and the government, Cho stressed the government is willing to actively engage in discussions, regardless of the format of the consultative body, if the medical community participates.

A majority of trainee doctors have left their workplaces since February in protest of the government's plan to drastically increase the medical school admissions quota beginning next year.

Earlier this month, the doctors' lobby group demanded that the government cancel its plan to raise the medical school admissions quota for 2025 and 2026 and discuss the possible quota adjustment for 2027 or afterward.