The government has begun forming a committee responsible for allocating 2,000 additional medical school admission seats to universities, officials said Thursday, amid continuing protests from doctors against the plan.

The move came as the government is forging ahead with the medical quota hike to address a chronic shortage of doctors in rural areas and essential but unpopular medical fields, despite a weekslong walkout by trainee doctors nationwide.

Earlier this week, the government announced that 40 medical schools nationwide applied for a combined 3,401 additional admission seats, much higher than the government's planned increase of 2,000 more seats from the current 3,058 starting next year.

"We have started to establish an allocation committee ... participated in by education and health ministry officials," an education ministry official said.

The official declined to disclose further details regarding the committee, such as its size, the timing of its formation and the composition of its members, citing the sensitivity of the issue.

"As it is an extremely sensitive matter, confidentiality will be maintained until the time the committee is disbanded," the official added.

The allocation is widely expected to be completed before the April 10 general elections although education ministry officials said they will carry it out before mid- or late April.

Once the allocation is completed, universities are expected to reflect new medical school quotas in their application guidelines to be released around May. (Yonhap)