[Weekly File] Government Raises White Flag Amid Prolonged Legislative Conflict... Will a Breakthrough Be Found?

Chonnam National University College of Medicine Fails to Produce Graduates for the First Time in 81 Years
Most Freshmen and Students on Leave Refuse to Register for Classes
Remaining Medical Staff at University Hospitals Report Burnout
Government Proposes Conditional Quota of 3,058 if "Medical Students Return in March"
Uncertainty Over Medical Students' Return... Concerns of a Vicious Cycle

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Juho held a briefing on student return and normalization of medical school education on the 7th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, with Yang Obong, president of Jeonbuk National University and chairman of the Council of University Presidents for Medical School Advancement, Lee Haewoo, president of Dong-A University, and Lee Jongtae, chairman of the Korea Association of Medical Colleges and Graduate Schools of Medicine. Photo by Jo Yongjun

The medical system is collapsing due to the departure of residents and the mass leave of absence by medical students, as the conflict between the government and the medical community over the plan to increase medical school quotas has continued for over a year.

Chonnam National University College of Medicine is experiencing an unprecedented situation, failing to produce any graduates for the first time in 81 years, while medical staff at regional university hospitals, who have been enduring by filling vacant resident positions, are expressing severe fatigue and burnout.

The government has decided to revert the 2026 medical school admission quota to the pre-increase level of 3,058 students. However, there are concerns that this is only a temporary measure and that the vicious cycle may repeat if the government is once again dragged into further discussions on quota increases.

◇ Small-scale graduation ceremonies at Chonnam National University and Chosun University due to mass leave of absence by medical students

According to local universities on the 7th, Chonnam National University College of Medicine, which failed to produce any graduates last year due to the mass leave of absence by medical students, canceled its scheduled degree conferment ceremony on the 26th of last month.

It is reported that 653 out of 740 enrolled medical students at Chonnam National University took a leave of absence last year as part of a nationwide strike over the medical school quota issue. Since its founding as Gwangju Medical School in 1944, this is the first time in 81 years that the university has been unable to hold a degree conferment ceremony due to the impact of a mass leave of absence by students.

Chosun University College of Medicine replaced its ceremony with a mini degree conferment event for four graduates on the 19th of last month. Last year, 676 out of 750 enrolled students at Chosun University College of Medicine applied for a leave of absence, citing opposition to the quota increase. Before the increase, Chosun University College of Medicine had about 125 students per grade and produced around 120 graduates annually.

◇ Lukewarm course registration by freshmen... Some upperclassmen exerting pressure

Recently, all 165 freshmen at Chonnam National University College of Medicine and 150 freshmen at Chosun University College of Medicine registered and entered without any dropouts. This year, the number of new students at Chonnam National University and Chosun University increased by 38 and 25, respectively, compared to last year.

However, as of the 25th of last month, only six first-year students at Chonnam National University had registered for classes. Some freshmen at Chosun University have also not yet registered for classes. Both universities will operate a course registration correction period until the 10th, during which applications for returning students will be accepted.

At some universities, there have been moves to pressure freshmen to participate in the collective leave of absence, prompting schools to respond at the institutional level.

It was confirmed that Chosun University College of Medicine took precautions with its students after receiving a report last month about "acts of disrupting classes by medical students." The report stated that "the emergency committee is planning to conduct a survey on freshmen's willingness to participate in the protest, requiring real names for identification and to prevent duplicate participation." In response, Chosun University College of Medicine took measures to instruct students not to disrupt freshmen's classes.

Recently, a post titled "Medical School Class of 25 Vote" was uploaded to an anonymous community at Chonnam National University. The post conducted a vote on whether medical students would attend classes, with comments showing divided opinions. Aside from this post, there have been no separate reports or complaints related to class disruption at Chonnam National University.

◇ Prolonged vacancy of residents... Remaining medical staff at university hospitals report burnout

According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of doctors at Chonnam National University Hospital and Chosun University Hospital dropped sharply by 44.5% from 814 in 2023 to 451 last year. Not only residents but also some specialists left, resulting in a greater decrease.

Since February 19 last year, 225 residents at Chonnam National University Hospital and 107 at Chosun University Hospital collectively resigned in protest against the government's policy to increase medical school quotas. Both hospitals are operating emergency medical systems with the remaining specialists, some fellows and residents, and nurses, but due to the prolonged shortage of staff, only a few interns and residents have been recruited, and the remaining medical staff are experiencing severe accumulated fatigue.

Most of the residents who left the hospitals in February last year have not returned, even with additional recruitment at regional university hospitals in the first half of this year. Chonnam National University Hospital tried to recruit 256 residents for the first half of the year, but as of the 25th of last month, only one applied. Chosun University Hospital also recruited 38 interns and 47 first-year residents, but applications were reportedly low. Both university hospitals have decided not to disclose the number of applicants or the recruitment rate for residents in the first half of this year.

A university hospital official said, "Residents who left the clinical field, as well as new applicants, are not returning. Since resident recruitment is conducted semiannually, it is difficult to hold ad hoc recruitment."

◇ Government proposes conditional return to 3,058 quota if 'all medical students return in March'... Will this resolve the conflict?

On this day, the government announced that it would accept the suggestion of medical school presidents and deans to revert the 2026 medical school admission quota to the 2024 level of 3,058 students, on the condition that all medical students return this month.

Lee Jooho, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, held a briefing at the Seoul Government Complex in the afternoon, stating, "Medical school deans and university presidents recently suggested that if all medical students return in March and classes for the 2025 academic year proceed normally, the admission quota for the 2026 academic year could be adjusted to 3,058 at the discretion of university presidents. The government will respect the autonomous decisions of the presidents, provided that all students return by the end of March."

However, the government emphasized that the prerequisite for reverting the quota is the 'full return of all medical students.' Lee Jooho stated, "If all students do not return by the end of March, the plan to adjust the 2026 quota to the 2024 level, as suggested by the presidents, will be withdrawn, and the admission quota will remain at 5,058."

If the 2026 medical school admission quota is reverted to the 2024 pre-increase level, it is expected to impact the admissions landscape. However, the likelihood of medical students, who are closely aligned with the residents' association, returning at this time is low.

Even within the Korean Medical Association (KMA), there was an opinion to propose to the government to set the quota at 3,058, but Park Dan (chair of the Emergency Committee of the Korean Intern Resident Association and KMA vice president) and others reportedly opposed it.