49.1% of Medical Students Submit 'Valid Leave of Absence'... 123 Applied Yesterday

Cumulative 9,231 Cases... 9 Schools Refusing Classes

In response to the government's policy to increase the number of medical students, approximately 49% of all medical students have submitted 'valid leave of absence applications' in accordance with university regulations.

According to the Ministry of Education on the 26th, a survey conducted the previous day targeting 40 medical schools nationwide found that 123 students from 5 schools applied for valid leave of absence. One student from one school withdrew a previously submitted leave application.

As a result, the cumulative number of valid leave applications reached 9,231. This corresponds to about 49.1% of the 18,793 enrolled medical students nationwide as of April last year.

A medical school in Seoul on the 20th, when the results of the increased medical school admission quota distribution, which triggered conflicts between the medical community and the government, were announced. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Classes were confirmed to have been boycotted at 9 universities the previous day. The Ministry of Education stated that efforts are underway at the respective schools to maintain normal academic operations through student interviews and explanations.

Valid leave applications are those submitted following procedures stipulated in university regulations, such as parental consent and department head signatures. Until last month, the Ministry of Education aggregated all leave applications submitted by students regardless of compliance with these procedures, but from this month onward, only valid leave applications are being counted.

The Ministry of Education's position is that even if a 'valid leave' application meets formal requirements, a strike leave is not a legitimate reason for leave and should not be approved. Accordingly, the Ministry explained that there have been no cases of leave approval among strike leaves.

The Ministry of Education is requesting universities to strictly manage academic affairs and repeatedly urging them not to approve strike leaves. Starting today, to protect medical students who are being coerced into participating in collective actions, the 'Medical School Student Protection and Reporting Center' has been launched. The center aims to protect students who wish to return to classes but hesitate due to individual or group coercion, as well as those who face difficulties for similar reasons after returning to classes.

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