Article 1(Purpose) #
The purpose of this Decree is to prescribe matters mandated by the Act on Training of and Support for Community Doctors and other matters necessary for the enforcement thereof.
Article 2(Community doctor selection process) #
(1) Universities required to select students through the community doctor selection process under Article 4(1) of the Act on Training of and Support for Community Doctors (hereinafter referred to as the "Act") shall be as specified in Appendix 1.
(2) The ratio at which the head of a university shall select students through the community doctor selection process pursuant to Article 4 (1) of the Act shall be publicly notified by the Minister of Health and Welfare in consultation with the Minister of Education, so that the necessary quota is appropriately allocated to each region. In such cases, the total number of students to be selected through the community doctor selection process by all medical colleges specified in Appendix 1 shall be at least 10 percent of the aggregate quota of such medical colleges.
(3) The locations of middle schools and high schools (referring to middle schools under subparagraph 2 of Article 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and high schools under subparagraph 3 of that Article; hereinafter the same shall apply) to which the community doctor selection process applies under Article 4(2)1 of the Act shall be as specified in Appendix 2.
(4) The ratio of students required to meet all the requirements under the subparagraphs of Article 4(2) of the Act among those admitted through the community doctor selection process under that paragraph shall be 100/100; provided, the specific ratio for each region under the items of subparagraph 2 of Appendix 2 shall be publicly notified by the Minister of Health and Welfare in consultation with the Minister of Education, taking into account the population of the region, the current status of use of medical services and medical resources, the distribution of medically underserved areas under Article 12 of the Public Health and Medical Services Act (hereinafter referred to as "medically underserved area") and other relevant factors.
Article 3(Carry-over of quota and transfer admission) #
(1) In the event of an unfilled quota following the community doctor selection process, the head of a university may carry over the number of such vacancies and select them in the admission process for the second following academic year, subject to a cap of 10 percent of the enrollment quota of the relevant medical college, for each region under the items of subparagraph 2 of Appendix 2 where the shortfall has occurred. In such cases, the number of students carried over shall not be included in the calculation of the ratio for the community doctor selection process for the year to which they are carried over.
(2) In a case where the head of a university conducts transfer admission to fill vacancies resulting from an unfilled quota following the community doctor selection process or from students dropping out after such selection, the vacancies shall be filled by persons who belong to the regions under the items of subparagraph 2 of Appendix 2 where the vacancies occurred.
(3) When selecting students through the community doctor selection process, the head of a university shall endeavor to select them in line with the purpose of service-obligated community doctors.
Article 4(Additional curriculum for students admitted through community doctor selection process) #
(1) The additional curriculum that students admitted through the community doctor selection process may be required to complete under Article 4(4) of the Act shall be as follows:
1. Courses on public health and medical services: The following courses:
a. Courses regarding health and medical services to medically underserved areas and support therefor;
b. Courses regarding the subparagraphs of Article 2 of the Public Health and Medical Care Act;
c. Courses regarding the integrated support, etc. under subparagraph 1 of Article 2 of the Act on Integrated Support for Community Care, including Medical and Nursing Care;
d. Courses regarding community health and medical institutions under subparagraph 1 of Article 2 of the Regional Public Health Act and community health and medical services under subparagraph 2 of that Article;
2. Local clinical clerkships;
3. Other courses deemed by the head of a university to be necessary for training community doctors.
(2) Matters necessary for the implementation and operation of the curriculum under paragraph (1), as well as credits and completion thereof, shall be determined by the regulations of each university.
Article 5(Support for tuition and other expenses) #
(1) Expenses to be supported for students admitted through the community doctor selection process under Article 5(1) of the Act (hereinafter referred to as "tuition and other expenses") shall be as follows:
1. Admission fees under subparagraph 1 of Article 11 of the Higher Education Act;
2. Textbook and practicum expenses;
3. Accommodation expenses (including dormitory fees);
4. Other expenses necessary for training community doctors, as publicly notified by the Minister of Health and Welfare.
(2) Matters necessary for the calculation of support to be provided, such as tuition and other expenses, the timing of payment, and the procedures and methods therefor shall be determined and publicly notified by the Minister of Health and Welfare.
Article 6(Suspension of support for tuition and other expenses) #
(1) The grounds for suspending support for tuition and other expenses under Article 6(1) of the Act shall be as follows:
1. Taking a leave of absence;
2. Failing a grade;
3. Temporary suspension of studies due to disciplinary actions, such as suspension from school, under Article 13(1) of the Higher Education Act;
4. Transfer to another department.
(2) Matters concerning the scope, period, and procedures for the suspension of support for tuition and other expenses under Article 6(1) of the Act shall be determined and publicly notified by the Minister of Health and Welfare.
Article 7(Return of tuition and other expenses) #
(1) Where the Minister of Health and Welfare intends to collect the reimbursement amount under Article 6(2) of the Act (hereinafter referred to as "reimbursement amount"), he or she shall notify the person who falls under any subparagraph of that paragraph (hereinafter referred to as "person liable for reimbursement") of the obligation to pay such reimbursement amount within a specified period of up to 5 years.
(2) Where the Minister of Health and Welfare deems that a person liable for reimbursement is unable to pay the reimbursement amount by the deadline under paragraph (1) due to any of the following grounds, he or she may extend the payment deadline by up to 3 years or allow the payment to be made in installments:
1. Where the property of the person liable for reimbursement has sustained a serious damage from a disaster, etc.;
2. Where the person liable for reimbursement or any one of his or her family members living together requires treatment for at least 6 months due to an illness or serious injury;
3. Other cases where the Minister of Health and Welfare deems that it would be difficult for the person liable for reimbursement to pay the reimbursement amount by the deadline.
(3) The grounds for granting a full or partial exemption from the obligation to pay the reimbursement amount under Article 6(4) of the Act shall be as follows:
1. Death;
2. Registration as a person with a severe disability under the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities;
3. Cases where the Minister of Health and Welfare deems that a recipient of support for tuition and other expenses falls under any other ground not attributable to that person, such as an illness.
(4) Where the Minister of Health and Welfare reduces or exempts the reimbursement amount under Article 6(5) of the Act, the amount of reduction or exemption shall be calculated according to the following formula:
Reduction or exemption amount = Reimbursement amount × (Number of months of mandatory service performed / 120)
(5) Except as provided in paragraphs (1) through (4), matters necessary for the payment, calculation, collection, etc. of the reimbursement amount shall be determined and publicly notified by the Minister of Health and Welfare.
Article 8(Mandatory service region) #
Regions where service-obligated community doctors are required to serve for 10 years (hereinafter referred to as "mandatory service") under the former part of Article 7(1) of the Act (hereinafter referred to as "mandatory service region") shall be as specified in Appendix 3.
Article 9(Contract term for contract-based community doctors) #
(1) The term of contract for a contract-based community doctor to be publicly announced by the head of a medical institution under the latter part of Article 10(2) of the Act shall be determined within the range of 5 to 7 years.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the term of contract may be extended within a limit not exceeding 10 years in total, where the head of the relevant local government and the head of a medical institution selected under Article 10(1) of the Act so determine in consultation with each other, in consideration of the demand for medical services, the status of medical resources, etc. in the relevant region.
Article 10(Suspension of support for community doctors) #
(1) Where the Minister of Health and Welfare and the head of a local government intend to suspend support under Article 13 of the Act, they shall notify the relevant person in advance of the grounds for, details, and period of such suspension.
(2) Details regarding the suspension of support under Article 13 of the Act shall be determined and publicly notified by the Minister of Health and Welfare.
Article 11(Establishment and operation of support center for community doctors) #
"Institution or organization prescribed by Presidential Decree" in the former part of Article 14(2) of the Act means any of the following institutions or organizations:
1. A national university-affiliated hospital established under the Act on the Establishment of National University-Affiliated Hospitals;
2. A corporation established under Article 32 of the Civil Act or the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Public Interest Corporations, which performs functions related to health and medical services and training of medical personnel;
3. Other institutions or organizations deemed by the Minister of Health and Welfare to have expertise in health and medical services and training of medical personnel.
Article 12(Criteria for imposition of administrative fines) #
The criteria for imposing administrative fines under Article 18(1) and (2) of the Act shall be as specified in Appendix 4.
Article 13(Delegation of authority) #
(1) Pursuant to Article 19(1) of the Act, authority of the Minister of Health and Welfare over requests for submission of data under Article 15(1) and (2) of the Act shall be delegated to the Special Metropolitan City Mayor, a Metropolitan City Mayor, a Special Self-Governing City Mayor, a Do Governor, and a Special Self-Governing Province Governor (hereinafter referred to as "Mayor/Do Governor").
(2) Where a Mayor/Do Governor finds any violation of Article 7(1) of the Act following the request for submission of data under Article 15(1) and (2) of the Act, he or she shall notify the Minister of Health and Welfare of the results thereof.
Article 14(Processing of personally identifiable information) #
(1) The Minister of Health and Welfare (including the person to whom the authority of the Minister of Health and Welfare is delegated or entrusted under the former part of Article 14(2) or 19(1) of the Act) and the head of a local government (where the relevant authority has been delegated or entrusted, including the person to whom such authority has been delegated or entrusted) may process data including resident registration numbers under subparagraph 1 of Article 19 of the Enforcement Decree of the Personal Information Protection Act, if unavoidable for performing administrative affairs regarding the following:
1. Support for tuition and other expenses under Article 5 of the Act;
2. Suspension and return of support for tuition and other expenses under Article 6 of the Act;
3. Support for community doctors under Article 12 of the Act;
4. Suspension of support for community doctors under Article 13 of the Act;
5. A corrective order under Article 16 of the Act;
6. Suspension and revocation of license under Article 17 of the Act.
(2) The head of a university may process data including resident registration numbers under Article 19(1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Personal Information Protection Act, if unavoidable for performing administrative affairs regarding the following:
1. Selection of students under Article 4 of the Act;
2. Support for tuition and other expenses under Article 5 of the Act;
3. Suspension and return of support for tuition and other expenses under Article 6 of the Act.
Article 15(Re-examination of regulation) #
The Minister of Health and Welfare shall examine the appropriateness of the following matters every 3 years, counting from each base date specified in the following subparagraphs (referring to the period that ends on the day before the base date of every 3rd year) and shall take measures, such as making improvements:
1. Details regarding the community doctor selection process under Article 2: January 1, 2026;
2. Details regarding mandatory service regions under Article 8: January 1, 2026.