Increase in Medical Students Taking Leave Opposing Medical School Expansion... 55.6% of Total

Leave of Absence Applications Increase by 38... Total 10,442 Cases

The number of medical students submitting leave of absence applications in protest against the government's policy to increase medical school quotas is rising.

According to the Ministry of Education on the 14th, a survey conducted on 40 medical schools nationwide from the 12th to the 13th showed that 38 students from one school applied for a 'valid' leave of absence that met the school regulations.

Students are entering a medical school in Seoul on the 20th, when the results of the allocation of increased medical school admission quotas, which sparked conflict between the medical community and the government, are being announced. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

A valid leave of absence application is one submitted following the procedures stipulated in the school regulations, such as parental consent and department head's signature. The cumulative number of valid leave applications amounts to 10,442, accounting for 55.6% of the total enrolled students (18,793).

Medical students have been submitting collective leave of absence applications since mid-February in opposition to the government's policy to increase medical school quotas.

The Ministry of Education stated that there have been no approved cases of leave during the collective leave strike, and even if the formal requirements are met, collective leave is not a valid reason for leave and should not be approved.