Jeonbuk National University has requested a reevaluation after its medical school was placed on a one-year grace period following a nonaccreditation decision by the Korean Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation, despite being granted an increased quota for the 2027 academic year, the Education Ministry said Monday.
The institute changed the accreditation status of JBNU Medical School based on its 2025 assessment. Established in 2004, KIMEE is a ministry-recognized body that evaluates the curriculum and educational environment of medical schools in Korea.
Under the institute’s rules, a medical school that receives a nonaccreditation decision is given a one-year grace period. If it fails again in a subsequent evaluation, it may no longer recruit new students and its graduates could face restrictions on taking the national medical licensing exam.
The institute cited a shortage of clinical faculty in the family medicine department and a lack of lecture halls large enough to accommodate students admitted in 2024 and 2025.
In response, JBNU said it plans to secure three large lecture halls through renovations in 2026 and add four new problem-based learning rooms. It also plans to remodel the student union building and medical library.
To improve the clinical training environment, the university said it has agreed with JBNU Hospital to secure two student-only training spaces and is also pushing to establish similar facilities at JBNU Hospital in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province.
The university is to submit its self-assessment report for medical education accreditation by the end of July and undergo an on-site evaluation by the institute between September and October.
The decision has raised fresh concerns about the quality of medical education, particularly because Jeonbuk National University was selected on March 13 for a larger admissions quota beginning in 2027. Under the ministry’s plan, the university will gain 21 additional seats starting in 2027, bringing its total quota to 163, the highest among public institutions in the country.
When the government announced quota allocations for each university, it said it had taken into account each school’s capacity to accommodate more students. KIMEE’s assessment, however, suggested otherwise.
“When deciding on the quota increase, the government took into account the fact that JBNU is a national university and that its educational environment could be improved through investment,” an Education Ministry official explained during a briefing Monday.
JBNU, meanwhile, said the nonaccreditation decision stemmed from incomplete data submitted during the review process.
“The university cannot accept the notice of a nonaccreditation grace period and has requested a review,” the school said.
“The school had established sufficient plans to accommodate the increase in student numbers, but the nonaccreditation decision appears to have stemmed from data being entered improperly during the documentation process,” said Yang Oh-bong, the university's president.
Konkuk University, Hallym University and Dongguk University were the only other schools to receive nonaccreditation decisions from the institute, but none of the three requested a review.
Those three universities had also experienced increased quotas under former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s medical school quota expansion push.
The Education Ministry said Monday that students already enrolled at universities given a grace period would not be affected because those schools retain their accredited status during the review period.
“The ministry will work with the accreditation institute to improve the quality of medical education,” it said.
The ministry added that it was aware of criticism that educational conditions at some medical schools remain inadequate and said it would work with universities on plans to expand facilities and improve conditions.
“We will continue to communicate with universities in the field and provide support to improve medical education conditions and foster high-quality medical professionals,” the ministry said.
seungku99@heraldcorp.com
