Only 21 trainee doctors applied for an additional round of recruitment, the health ministry said Monday, dashing the government's hopes of normalizing the medical vacuum that has persisted since February.Hospitals closed applications for the additional recruitment last week after the medical community was lukewarm to the initial round that ended last month.During the previous round, the total number of applicants was just 104, filling only 1.4 percent of the 7,645 available positions.The number of applicants at the country's top five hospitals -- Asan Medical Center, Samsung Medical Center, Severance Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital and Seoul St. Mary's Hospital -- also came to just seven during the latest recruitment.The hospitals play a key role in providing medical care for critically ill patients in South Korea.Local hospitals, meanwhile, plan to start the training program in September after proceeding with the remaining steps, including interviews.Last month, hospitals processed the resignations of nearly 7,700 trainee doctors who have been protesting the medical school quota hike since February, allowing departing doctors to seek new jobs and enabling hospitals to recruit fresh trainees.Despite a fierce protest by trainee doctors, the government has already finalized a plan for a hike of about 1,500 medical students next year in an effort to address a shortage of doctors in essential services.A poster announcing the recruitment of trainee doctors is posted at a general hospital in Seoul on Aug. 16, 2024. (Yonhap)Source: Yonhap News Agency