South Korean Education Minister Urges Medical Students to Return to School Soon

Lee Ju-ho made the warning at an emergency press conference as medical students across the country boycotted classes and applied for leave of absence for nearly four months in a mass protest. He urged medical students to return to school immediately.

As students continue to miss classes, some universities are considering accepting leave applications to help students avoid failing the semester, despite the government's stance that collective action is not a valid reason for taking time off. Education Minister Lee Ju-ho has made it clear that there should be no cases of students taking collective leave to protest government policy. He noted that if any requests for collective leave by medical students are approved, the Ministry of Education will take strict action against the universities involved.

Under current law, schools that fail to comply with the ministry's regulations could face severe sanctions such as suspension of enrollment. Lee Ju-ho Lee pledged that the ministry would provide all possible support so that students could return to school smoothly and without disruption.

In its first increase in medical school quotas in 27 years, the South Korean government increased enrollment quotas at medical schools nationwide by about 1,500 students last month to address health care shortages in rural areas and unpopular medical fields. Medical students are strongly protesting the increase, saying it will undermine the quality of medical education and medical services.

Meanwhile, South Korean Education Minister Lee Ju-ho pledged that the government will ensure the quality of medical education is maintained by announcing a plan to improve medical education in September. He also said the government plans to significantly increase the number of medical professors at public universities in the next three years and establish clinical education centers at all university hospitals by 2028.