Approval of Collective Leave at Seoul National University Medical School... Ministry of Education Vows "Strict Response"

Nationwide Attendance Rate of 40 Medical Schools at 2.8%

The Ministry of Education has expressed strong regret over Seoul National University College of Medicine's approval of student leave of absence and announced strict measures through audits. The Ministry criticized this as an unjust act that neglects the university's responsibilities and stated that immediate action will be taken.

According to education circles on the 1st, Seoul National University College of Medicine collectively approved students' leave of absence applications for the first semester the previous day. This decision contradicts the government's policy of disallowing collective leave of absence.

It appears that the dean of the medical school exercised the final approval authority, and professors judged that it was educationally difficult to teach a year's worth of courses in a short period.

The government has been encouraging medical students to return to school and provided guidelines to prevent failing grades, but the medical community has argued for approval of leave of absence, claiming that normal education is impossible.

According to data submitted by the office of Jin Sun-mi, a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, out of 19,374 enrolled students in 40 medical schools nationwide for the second semester of the 2024 academic year, only 548 students actually attended classes, resulting in an attendance rate of just 2.8% across the 40 medical schools. Seoul National University's decision has increased the likelihood that other medical schools will also approve leave of absence.

The Ministry of Education stated, "We express strong regret regarding this matter and plan to immediately conduct on-site audits to verify the facts. If serious faults are confirmed, we will strictly hold responsible parties accountable and correct any mistakes." They also emphasized to other medical schools that collective leave of absence is not a legitimate reason for leave and requested their cooperation.