Government: "Medical Licensing Exam Participation Rate 14%, No Additional Registration" (Update)

On the 12th, medical students from Chung-Ang University held a picket protest in front of Heukseok Station in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, urging opposition to the expansion of medical school quotas. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Medical students are collectively refusing to take the practical exam of the medical licensing examination scheduled to begin on the 8th, with the attendance rate estimated to be around 14%.

Son Young-rae, head of the Strategic Planning Team at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, explained at a regular briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong on the same day, "Out of 3,172 eligible candidates, currently 446, that is 14%, are expected to take the exam."

Earlier, when about 90% of medical students expressed their intention to boycott the exam in protest against the expansion of medical school quotas on the 31st of last month, the government postponed the exam start date from the 1st to the 8th of this month and extended the re-registration deadline until midnight of that day.

However, the Emergency Response Committee of the Korean Medical School Student Association (KMSA) decided unanimously to maintain the boycott of the licensing exam, following the resolution of representatives from 40 medical schools nationwide the day before.

The government reiterated that the practical exam of the medical licensing examination will proceed as scheduled.

Son stated, "We have repeatedly informed that medical students who did not re-register will find it difficult to take this year's practical exam," and added, "The practical exam will proceed without disruption."

The government firmly stated that there will be no further postponement or extension of the registration deadline for this year's medical licensing exam.

Son explained, "We are not considering extending the re-application period or additional registration," and added, "This is a matter of law and principle, and it should be noted that national exams apply not only to the medical licensing exam but also commonly to numerous other professions and qualifications."

In response to concerns that the decrease in examinees this year might lead to a shortage of medical personnel next year, he said, "Currently, for public health doctors or military doctors, adjustments can be made focusing on essential deployment areas, so there will be no major disruption," and added, "Medical school graduates generally do not apply for military service immediately but do so after a one-year internship or after a four-year residency training period."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.