South Korean medical students to return to school, urge education reforms

SEOUL (Reuters): South Korean medical students who walked out of school last year in protest at a government plan to increase medical school admissions said on Saturday that they would return to campus, calling on authorities to normalize academic schedules.

The Korean Medical Association, the main lobby group for doctors, in a statement urged the government to take steps to restore the academic calendar and improve training conditions.

“We will place our trust in the government and parliament and commit to returning to school to help normalize medical education and the healthcare system,” the KMA said in the statement, issued jointly with parliament’s education committee and lobby groups representing medical students.

A specific timeline for the return was not provided.

Thousands of medical students walked out of school in early 2024 in opposition to a plan by the previous administration to add thousands of new spots at medical schools.

The trainee doctors had argued that the planned rise in admissions would lower the quality of medical education. They said that rather than just an increase in numbers of students, more reform was needed to attract doctors into essential care such as emergency or pediatrics.

The KMA statement called on the president and the government to form a task force to address long-term reforms in medical education and training and to ensure the participation of all stakeholders, including students.