Ministry of Education Urges Meeting With KMSA Before Academic Probation Is Finalized on the 30th

"There Has Never Been Any Discussion of Academic Flexibility"

The Ministry of Education has proposed to meet with the Korean Medical Student Association (KMSA) before April 30, when the academic probation of medical students who have not returned to school will be finalized.

On April 28, Kim Hongsoon, Director of Medical Education Support at the Ministry of Education, stated this during a regular briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong. He added, "KMSA has said it will respond to the ministry's proposal for a meeting by the end of today."

According to each medical school, the probation deadline for fourth-year students in the medical program at a total of 32 medical schools will expire by April 30. Fourth-year students who miss the return deadline will not be eligible to take the practical portion of the national medical licensing examination. For this reason, the Ministry of Education intends to meet with KMSA before a large-scale academic probation situation occurs, in an effort to resolve the issue.

After the government announced that "if students return by the end of March, next year's medical school enrollment quota will be frozen" at the end of March, most students at 40 medical schools paid their tuition but have continued their protest by refusing to attend classes. On April 17, when the government announced that the enrollment quota for next year would be frozen at 3,058 students regardless of whether students returned to classes, the average class participation rate among medical students was 26%. Even after ten days, the class participation rate remains at about the same level.

Kim stated, "I believe meeting today or tomorrow, before the academic probation is finalized, is the best timing," and added, "If KMSA suggests a meeting in early May, it would be right after the probation decisions are made, which could cause students to misunderstand (for example, regarding the possibility of academic flexibility), so it would be difficult."

If a meeting with KMSA is held before April 30, the Ministry of Education plans to discuss measures to make up for lost classes and separate education for the classes of 2024 and 2025. Academic flexibility will not be discussed.

Kim said, "The Ministry of Education and the deans of medical schools have made it clear that they will proceed according to the existing rules and academic regulations." He continued, "There are rumors among students that the ministry is negotiating academic flexibility, but we have never discussed academic flexibility through any channel."

He also said, "Depending on when students return, the schedule and organization for separate education for the classes of 2024 and 2025 will be completely different," and urged, "Please return as much as possible by April 30."

Kim stated, "If the classes of 2024, 2025, and 2026 all overlap as first-year students next year, most universities will revise their academic regulations to give course registration priority to the class of 2026," and added, "The biggest disadvantage from not returning will be borne by the classes of 2024 and 2025."