Ministry of Education Approves Medical Students' Leave of Absence Without Conditions... "University Autonomy Decision"

'Unconditional' Leave of Absence Approved on Condition of Return Next Year
Medical Community Changes Stance in Response to University Demands

The Ministry of Education has decided to approve leaves of absence for medical school students who continue to take collective leaves, based on the autonomous judgment of each university. This appears to be a reversal of the previous stance in response to ongoing demands from the medical community and universities to approve unconditional leaves of absence.

On the 29th, Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, held a video conference with the presidents of 40 universities operating medical schools and stated, "To create an opportunity for students to return and for the normalization of medical school academics, leaves of absence requested by students for personal reasons will be approved based on the autonomous judgment of each university."

Earlier, on the 6th, the Ministry of Education announced an 'Emergency Plan for the Normalization of Medical School Academics,' guiding universities to approve medical students' leaves of absence on the premise of their return in the 2025 academic year. In response, the medical community and universities have been demanding unconditional approval of leaves of absence.

On the 22nd of this month, the Korean Medical Association and the Korean Association of Medical Colleges and Medical Schools (KAMC) set the approval of medical students' leaves of absence as a precondition for participating in the ruling and opposition parties' medical and political consultative body. The day before, presidents of national flagship universities also requested the Ministry of Education to allow autonomous approval of leaves of absence submitted by medical students for personal reasons according to each university's circumstances.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The presidents attending the conference welcomed the Ministry of Education's decision, saying, "At this urgent time when students' return remains uncertain and there are concerns about collective grade retention and other disadvantages to students, we appreciate the government’s magnanimous acceptance of the demands from the school field." They added, "Since there is insufficient preparation time to normalize the 2025 academic curriculum, it is expected that this autonomous approval measure for leaves of absence due to personal reasons will enable each university to establish next year's curriculum early."

They also stated, "Going forward, we will autonomously verify personal reasons through counseling according to each university's circumstances and proceed with the approval of leave applications. To protect students' right to learn, we will cooperate with the government to prepare extracurricular programs for students on leave in the 2024 academic year and plans for the operation of the 2025 academic curriculum."