South Korea 's government has already spent more than $200 billion on initiatives designed to support new mothers and encourage larger families, including cash subsidies, infertility treatment, and childcare services. Yet the fertility rate declined for the fourth consecutive year in 2023, according to provisional statistics released in February.

A South Korean court ruled in favor of the government’s contentious push to drastically boost medical school admissions on Thursday, posing a setback to concerted efforts by incumbent doctors to spike the plan.

A South Korean court rejected a request brought by doctors to suspend a government plan to increase the number of medical school seats, which sparked a walkout by physicians that has strained the health care system.

A recent court ruling against striking doctors will likely accelerate the government's push to markedly raise medical school admissions, but doctors have vowed not to back down to continue a standoff despite deepening chaos in the health care system.

An appellate court in Seoul dismissed the appeal filed by doctors to “halt the government’s plan to increase the medical school admissions quota” on May 16. This decision effectively enables the Yoon Suk Yeol government to continue its medical reforms by expanding medical school enrollment by up to 1,