Medical Students in Jeonbuk Region Submit Mass 'Leave of Absence' Requests... Residents Suspend Work

Jeonbuk Medical Association Plans to Continue 'Protest Against Medical School Expansion' Demonstrations

Medical students from Jeonbuk National University and Wonkwang University submitted collective leave of absence requests with over 96% in opposition to the government's plan to increase medical school quotas. Residents in the Jeonbuk area also continued to leave their workplaces for the second day, signaling a medical crisis.

According to Jeonbuk National University and Wonkwang University as of 10 a.m. on the 21st, 646 out of 669 medical students at Jeonbuk National University and 454 out of 473 medical students at Wonkwang University submitted leave of absence requests. This accounts for 96.3% of the total 1,142 students.

On the 21st, a notice about the shortage of medical staff was posted in the emergency room of a university hospital in Seoul, where concerns about a medical crisis grew due to the collective resignation and work stoppage of residents protesting the increase in medical school quotas.
[Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@]

Wonkwang University medical students initially withdrew their leave requests after persuasion from their advisors but eventually resubmitted collective leave requests. The school plans to counsel students who submitted leave requests through advisor meetings to encourage withdrawal.

As of the afternoon of the 20th, 189 out of 399 residents in the province, accounting for 47.4%, had submitted resignation letters and left their workplaces. Among them, 92 from Jeonbuk National University Hospital, 80 from Wonkwang University Hospital, and 17 from Yesu Hospital stopped working.

Jeonbuk National University Hospital has been operating on a reduced scale since the previous day, running only 8 out of 21 operating rooms, about 40%, causing disruptions in medical services and escalating the medical crisis.

Officials from Jeonbuk National University Hospital stated, "The Ministry of Health and Welfare inspected the site and issued work commencement orders to residents who have not returned," adding, "We are continuing to monitor the residents' work stoppages."

Meanwhile, medical organizations are reported to continue rallies opposing the expansion of medical school quotas. The Jeonbuk Medical Association plans to hold a rally against the expansion of medical school quotas at Jeonju Sports Complex on the 22nd afternoon, following rallies at Pungnammun Square in Jeonju and Namwon on the 15th.

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