Medical students who took a collective leave of absence are returning to school, but the reason remains uncertain = Issues surrounding the increase in admission quotas for medical schools in South Korea

The medical community has reacted to the South Korean government's plan to increase the number of students admitted to medical schools, and almost all medical schools are expected to return to school in large numbers due to the issue of medical students taking a collective leave of absence.
The government decided to increase the number of students admitted to medical schools in the 2013 academic year, but has announced a policy to return the number of students admitted to medical schools in the 2014 academic year to the previous level, on the condition that medical students who are refusing to attend lectures return to school by the end of this month.
The news agency Yonhap News reported that "the medical education field, which has been in chaos due to the mass school closures, is likely to return to normal for the first time in about a year." Meanwhile, the South Korean newspaper Hankyoreh reported that "The Ministry of Education (Ministry)
Since the standard for 'everyone returning' presented by the WHO is 'a level at which normal classes can be held,' how many returning students attend classes is expected to be the key to 'normalizing medical school.'"
In South Korea, the shortage of doctors is particularly serious in rural areas. The National Assembly Research Service of Korea published the "Statistics and Implications on Healthcare Human Resources in Major OECD Countries" in 2020.
According to the report, South Korea had 2.3 doctors per 1,000 people, below the OECD average of 3.5 and the lowest among member states.
In an effort to alleviate the shortage of doctors, the South Korean government decided in February last year to reduce the number of admissions to medical schools by 100 per year for five years starting from the 2025 academic year.
The government announced that it would increase the number of students by 2,000 each year. The number of students was increased to 3,507 in 1998, but was reduced to 3,058 in 2006, and has remained at 3,058 every year since.
The Yoon Seok-yeol administration has called for an increase in staff, saying, "In order to protect the health and lives of the people, expanding the number of doctors is a matter of the times that cannot be delayed any longer."
However, the medical community is opposed to this policy. The overall number of doctors is sufficient, and the cause of the shortage is said to be in the so-called departments of surgery and obstetrics and gynecology.
These "essential medical departments" tend to be avoided due to the high workload and relatively high risk of lawsuits, while the profitable dermatology, ophthalmology, and other medical fields are being pushed aside.
They claim that the concentration of doctors in cosmetic surgery is ultimately causing a shortage of doctors. As soon as the government policy was announced, the medical community expressed their intention to protest, with trainees resigning en masse.
This caused delays in regular medical examinations and surgeries, leading to confusion in the medical field. However, last year the Ministry of Education announced that 39 universities across the country would be accepting students for the 2025 academic year.
It was decided that the number of students in the School of Medicine would be increased by 1,497 from the previous year to a total of 4,610. Although the increase in students was smaller than initially planned, it was the first increase in student quota since 1998.
Many medical students have rebelled against the government's policy to increase the number of students admitted to medical schools, and have expressed their intention to take time off school in protest.
Although the semester has begun, students at medical schools across the country have been on leave. A lawmaker from the largest opposition Democratic Party of Korea wrote on the 4th of last month about the "2025 medical school first semester schedule" that was submitted by the Ministry of Education.
According to the "Current Status of Course Applications" website, as of February 25, 10 of the 40 medical schools in the country had not received a single application to take the course. In addition, even freshmen are under pressure from their seniors.
It was also pointed out that due to the closed nature of medical schools, it is difficult for students to go against the instructions of their seniors.
Last month, the government announced its intention to return the number of students admitted to medical schools next academic year to the level before the increase, on the condition that medical students return to their studies.
Prior to this, the Japan Medical University Association, a consultative body of 40 university presidents with medical schools, had released a document stating that if the government were to restore the number of students enrolled, universities would definitely allow students to return to school.
The government's deadline for students to return to school on the 31st of last month has passed, and according to a report by South Korean media on the 1st of this month, as of the 1st, 39 of the 40 medical schools nationwide had already submitted their return notices.
It was revealed that all medical students had completed the enrollment or reinstatement procedures for the first semester. Public broadcaster KBS said, "The government and universities have called for students to return by the end of last month, and will not hesitate to expel them if they do not comply."
"The return of medical students has marked the beginning of the normalization of medical education," the Ministry of Education said on the 1st.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has stated that the "everyone" in its "everyone return within March" condition for returning students to the level before the increase in enrollment is "a level that allows normal classes to be held."
"Although some medical students have returned to school, we need to wait and see whether they will actually attend classes. There is a possibility that they may refuse to attend classes even after returning," he said.
Some students are planning to return to school and then miss classes. The number of students admitted to medical schools in the 2014 academic year is expected to be decided as early as next week.
If a student is found to be taking another leave of absence or missing classes in 2014 and is therefore no longer at a "level where normal teaching is possible," the admissions quota for 2014 will also be increased.