Medical students end boycott but academic uncertainty lingers
After nearly a year and a half away from their classrooms, South Korean medical students have declared an unconditional return to school, signaling a possible end to one of the most drawn-out standoffs in medical education and health care labor here.
The Korean Medical Student Association announced Saturday that all students will return to school in a joint statement with the Korean Medical Association and National Assembly health and education committee chairs.
'We trust the National Assembly and the government, and by returning to school in full, we will commit ourselves to normalizing medical education and the broader health care system,' Lee Sun-woo, acting chair of the student association, said.
The statement comes 17 months after medical students began a collective leave of absence in protest of the government's plan to increase the annual medical school admission quota by 2,000. Despite earlier conciliatory gestures from the government, including offers to waive academic penalties and consider additional licensing exams, student leaders remained firm until now.
Notably, this is the first time the student body has announced its intention to resume studies without attaching specific demands. Lee explained the shift, citing a gradual rebuilding of trust with government officials and lawmakers after what he described as a breakdown under the previous administration. Growing internal fatigue and dissatisfaction with the prolonged standoff are also believed to have influenced the change in tone.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok welcomed the announcement. "This is a big step forward," he wrote on his Facebook account on Sunday. "The president has been considering solutions (for the medical hike problem) and has ordered the government to solve the problem," he wrote.
'The pain of (the Yoon administration's) witchcraft-like 'push of 2,000 seats' was too great and deep for everyone,' he said, adding, 'I hope (this decision) will lead to the recovery of all the people.'
As most medical schools have already issued academic penalties such as repeat-year notices to absent students, flexible academic solutions are now being considered essential for the return process.
However, the Ministry of Education continues to maintain that no flexibility will be granted. "The return plan, including the timing and method of returning to school, is a matter that requires sufficient discussion and review with the universities and related ministries in charge of actual education in consideration of the university academic calendar, educational conditions, and the characteristics of the medical education process," the ministry said.
The medical school association said they "are not asking for special treatment,' noting that students are willing to undergo seasonal semesters or condensed academic sessions during vacation periods to complete coursework properly without compromising educational standards.
Given this unprecedented announcement, subsequent discussions between the government, universities and the student association are expected to determine whether and how flexibility will be granted to facilitate their return.
Complex path to the classroom
While the return declaration marks a potential turning point, challenges remain. Although many students are eager to resume classes this month, the current academic framework offers no straightforward path.
Medical school curricula typically run on a yearly cycle, and those who failed or withdrew from the spring semester may be unable to rejoin midyear. As of May, over 8,300 students were marked for academic probation and 46 faced expulsion, according to the Ministry of Education.
Schools must devise academic plans that uphold educational standards while addressing the needs of students returning at different times and under different conditions. Issues of fairness between students who have already returned and those just now rejoining also need to be resolved.
Medical school deans, while welcoming the students' decision, have expressed caution. Lee Jong-tae, chair of the Korean Association of Medical Colleges, said, 'We welcome the students' decision. However, academic regulations would need to be revised and the quality of medical education preserved. This won't be an easy process.'
What about trainee doctors?
The return of medical students also raises the question of what happens next for trainee doctors who left their posts in hospitals during the same protest. Their return is crucial to restoring full functionality in the nation's health care system, particularly in emergency and essential care departments that have suffered chronic understaffing.
Momentum for their return appears to be building. Last month, the Korean Intern Resident Association elected Han Sung-john, known for his openness to dialogue, as its new interim chair, replacing a hardline predecessor.
KIRA has begun discussing conditions for return, including a review of the government's essential medical care reform package and guarantees for training continuity for doctors currently serving in the military.
On Monday, KIRA will meet privately with lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea to present their demands and discuss a roadmap for resuming training. This will be followed by a general assembly on July 19, where final decisions on the group's negotiating stance are expected.
However, full-scale return remains uncertain. Many resigned trainees, especially those in core departments such as internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and pediatrics, remain wary. In a recent KIRA survey, more than 70 percent of respondents who said they had no intention to return were from such high-burden, high-risk specialties. Legal liabilities from unavoidable medical accidents and inadequate reimbursement rates have contributed to ongoing reluctance.
If both students and trainee doctors return, the prolonged standoff between the government and the medical community may finally reach a resolution. However, critics warn that the government's concessions, including potential academic or employment privileges, could spark a new wave of public backlash.
The Korean Alliance of Patient Organizations has already voiced concern, stating that repeated 'preferential measures' for students and trainees are unfair and could be considered secondary harm against those who resumed duties earlier.
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