30% of Medical Students Nationwide Apply for 'Valid' Leave of Absence... Total 5,445 Students

The number of medical students who have submitted leave of absence applications in protest against the government's plan to increase medical school admissions has reached 5,445.

A traffic light near a medical college in Seoul is showing a red light. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

According to the Ministry of Education on the 10th, a survey of 40 medical schools nationwide found that 10 students properly applied for leave of absence following the procedures between the 8th and 9th of this month. The cumulative number of 'valid leave applications' that followed the procedures according to each school's regulations is 5,445. This accounts for 29.0% of the total medical students nationwide (18,793 as of April last year).

There are more students who submitted leave applications regardless of the required procedures. As of the 28th of last month, the total number of medical students who applied for leave was 13,698. 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 obtaining signatures from academic advisors or parents.

Some medical schools are also experiencing class boycotts. As of the 8th, class boycotts were confirmed at 10 schools.

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