3 out of 10 Medical Students Nationwide Apply for 'Valid' Leave of Absence... Total 5,425 Students

28.9% of All Medical Students
More than 10,000 Actual Leave of Absence Applicants

A total of 5,425 medical students have submitted leave of absence applications in protest against the government's plan to increase the number of medical school admissions.

According to the Ministry of Education on the 7th, a survey of 40 medical schools nationwide confirmed that on the 5th, 14 students from 8 schools, and on the 6th, 13 students from 8 schools submitted leave applications following proper procedures.

The total valid leave applications amount to 5,425, accounting for 28.9% of the total 18,793 medical students.

In response to the government's plan to increase medical school quotas by 2,000, medical students nationwide have decided on the 20th of this month to submit leave of absence applications together. The photo was taken on the 16th at a medical school in Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The Ministry of Education explained that leave was approved for 4 students from 2 schools on the 5th and 13 students from 6 schools on the 6th, but no collective leave was authorized. On the 6th, class refusal was confirmed at 8 schools.

The actual number of students who applied for leave is higher than this. From the 19th to the 28th of last month, a total of 13,698 medical students applied for leave. However, the Ministry of Education has excluded from the count any leave applications submitted this month that did not follow proper procedures or requirements, such as signatures from academic advisors or parents.

Class refusal is also continuing at some medical schools. The Ministry of Education stated that class refusal was confirmed at 8 schools on the 6th.

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