After Pusan National University, Jeju National University also rejects academic regulation revision... Will the suspension of academic regulation revisions continue?

Kangwon National University Holds Off on Academic Regulation Amendment
Ministry of Education: "Must Follow Legal Procedures"
20 out of 32 Universities Currently Undergoing Procedures
Seoul High Court Decision Expected Mid-May

As the government is proceeding with the process to increase the number of medical school admissions, a situation has arisen where national universities have consecutively rejected or postponed the amendment proposals to their academic regulations reflecting the increase. This is expected to affect the amendment procedures at other universities amid ongoing conflicts between the medical community and the government.

According to university sources on the 9th, Jeju National University held a faculty council and university council meeting in the afternoon the previous day and rejected the amendment proposal reflecting the increase in medical school admissions. Jeju National University had previously decided to select 70 students, which is 50% (30 students) more than the existing quota of 40.

The amendment proposal at Jeju National University is supposed to go through the Regulation Review Committee, Academic Affairs Committee, Faculty Council, and University Council before being finalized and promulgated by the president. However, the faculty council voted and concluded with a rejection. Jeju National University President Kim Il-hwan was absent from the meeting due to a business trip. The university plans to decide whether to reconsider the amendment proposal once the president returns.

On the same day, Kangwon National University also postponed the handling of the amendment proposal. The University Council of Kangwon National University withdrew the agenda item of the 'medical school admission increase amendment' submitted to the university headquarters. Earlier, on the 7th, Pusan National University was the first among national universities targeted for medical school admission increases to reject the amendment proposal.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the consecutive halts in academic regulation amendments at universities, the Ministry of Education stated that since the amendment procedures must follow legal regulations, they will wait for reconsideration to take place. A Ministry of Education official said, "The rejection at Kangwon National University has not been finalized," and added, "(Jeju National University and Pusan National University) being national universities, must follow the academic regulation amendment procedures under the Higher Education Act."

On the previous day, Deputy Minister of Education Oh Seok-hwan held a press conference at the Government Sejong Complex briefing room and said, "The number of medical school admissions per university must comply with the matters determined by the Minister of Education, and if not followed, corrective orders can be issued under Article 60 of the Higher Education Act." He added, "The Ministry of Education will monitor whether the amendment of academic regulations at each university is carried out within the scope of the law."

This is expected to influence the decisions on academic regulation amendments at other universities in the future. Previously, the Seoul High Court, during the appeal hearing for the suspension of the medical school admission increase, requested that approval for the increase be withheld until mid-May and that the grounds for the increase and meeting minutes be submitted. Among some universities, there is a sense of waiting to see the court's decision. According to the Ministry of Education, as of the previous day, 12 out of the total 32 universities targeted for medical school admission increases have completed their academic regulation amendments, while the remaining 20 universities still have amendment procedures pending.