On the First Day of the Semester, Medical Students Returning to Class Face 'Blacklist' Again

by Choi Taewon

Published 21 Jan.2025 16:03(KST)

List of Returnees Posted on Anonymous Doctors' Community

As Seoul National University College of Medicine resumed classes on the 20th, it has been reported that a list containing the real names of those who returned to class is spreading within a doctors' community.

Reference image. Yonhap News Agency

According to the medical community on the 21st, about 70 third- and fourth-year students at Seoul National University College of Medicine returned to class on the first day of the semester, the previous day. By course, about 40 students attended detailed lectures for the third-year clinical reasoning course, and about 30 students attended detailed lectures for the fourth-year human, society, and medicine course. Although the enrollment quota per year at Seoul National University College of Medicine is 135 students, the actual total number is about 140 due to leaves of absence and repeating students.

Upon learning of their attendance, an anonymous doctors' community reportedly posted a 'Seoul National University College of Medicine Returnee List' containing the real names of attendees.

Some users poured out criticism such as "Send the full list," "We need to catch and punish them," "Quickly cut off and isolate the 30% who returned," "We must root them out completely," and "They are traitors." There were also threats directed at student representatives, such as "The third-year representative of Seoul National University College of Medicine is a pro-Japanese collaborator Lee Wan-yong," and "We won't leave you alone if you come to the hospital."

The return of third- and fourth-year students at Seoul National University College of Medicine is expected to influence the return atmosphere of other years and other universities. As of this day, Seoul National University is the only medical school nationwide that has started the semester. The second-year students will start in February, and the first-year students will start in March.