'Opposition to Medical School Expansion' First Medical Students' Collective Leave of Absence Application... 160 Students at Wonkwang University Medical School

Published 18 Feb.2024 19:28(KST)

A collective leave of absence by medical students protesting the government's plan to increase medical school quotas has occurred for the first time.

A view of Wonkwang University Medical Center, Iksan-si, Jeonbuk [Photo by Wonkwang University]

According to the Ministry of Education on the 18th, about 160 medical students at Wonkwang University applied for leave of absence through the online system. Previously, the Korean Medical Students Association (KMSA) decided to submit leave applications simultaneously on the 20th and take a one-year leave as a form of protest. This collective leave of absence by Wonkwang University medical students is the first case of actually submitting leave applications.

However, according to Wonkwang University's regulations, parental consent is required for processing leave of absence, but no students have yet submitted parental consent forms. Additionally, when submitting leave applications, the department head's approval is also required, but this procedure has not yet been completed.

The Ministry of Education has established a "Situation Response Team for National University Hospitals and Medical Schools" and activated an emergency communication system with 40 medical schools nationwide in response to the possibility of collective actions such as strike leaves. They have also requested "strict academic management." It was explained that since strike leaves do not meet the criteria for leave of absence, each university is asked to clearly verify whether the procedures and requirements according to their respective regulations and rules have been fulfilled to ensure that students do not suffer disadvantages due to incorrect choices, and to provide guidance and management accordingly.