Park Minsu, Vice Minister of Welfare, "Postponing Medical Licensing Exam Is Unacceptable"

The Ministry of Health and Welfare drew a clear line on the issue of postponing the medical licensing examination (Korean Medical Licensing Examination, KMLE), stating that it is "unthinkable."

As collective actions such as class boycotts and joint leaves of absence by medical students opposing the increase in medical school admissions continue, some have raised the possibility of postponing the KMLE due to concerns about a 'mass failure' situation. However, the Ministry indicated its intention to proceed according to the principle.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the afternoon of the 22nd, Park Min-su, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, responded to a question about the possibility of postponing the KMLE during a briefing by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the doctors' collective action, saying, "Postponing the KMLE is unthinkable."

Earlier, the Ministry of Education had stated that it would consult with the Ministry of Health and Welfare regarding the postponement of the medical licensing exam schedule. This was in response to many universities operating medical schools proposing the postponement of the KMLE as a measure to prevent mass failure of medical students. On the 16th, Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, said, "The government and universities are cooperating to operate all systems flexibly and are exploring various measures to ensure that as many students as possible return," adding, "The issue of postponing the KMLE is under consultation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare."

There was also a case of adjusting the KMLE to prevent mass failure of medical students during the 2020 medical school expansion phase. At that time, the government gave medical students who refused to take the exam in opposition to the increase in medical school admissions an opportunity to retake it. If adjustments such as postponing the KMLE are made again to assist medical students who have engaged in class boycotts this time, the controversy over special treatment that arose then is likely to recur.

Vice Minister Park explained, "It is true that most students are currently not attending classes, but according to regulations, the qualification to take the exam only requires proof that graduation is possible within six months," adding, "The talk of postponement arises because students are not attending classes and there is concern about failure, but since there is still more than six months until graduation, (if they start attending classes now) they can take the exam."

The current Medical Service Act stipulates that only medical school graduates or those expected to graduate within six months can obtain a medical license upon passing the national exam. Even if fourth-year medical students take the KMLE, they cannot obtain a medical license if they do not graduate on time.

Vice Minister Park said, "Secondly, there are people preparing for this exam, and their legitimate expectations must be protected."

He emphasized, "There are people who failed the exam last year and a very small number of students who are still studying at school," adding, "To protect their trust, the scheduled exam will proceed as planned."

Vice Minister Park said, "Looking at the 2020 case, the exam was not postponed then either; the originally scheduled exam proceeded as planned, and an additional exam was created afterward to provide relief," adding, "So the question now is whether to hold that (additional exam) again, but at this point, it is not possible to give a definitive answer on whether it will or will not be held."

He said, "That (additional exam) issue can also be reconsidered if students quickly return to the field, withdraw their leaves of absence, and resume their studies but still find the time insufficient," adding, "It is difficult to comment at this stage."