Medical-Government Conflict Resolved, but Government Principles Undermined
Additional National Licensing Exam to Be Held Once in the First Half
Principle of "No Academic Flexibility" Broken
Controversy Over Fairness and Special Treatment Emerges
Medical students who had staged a collective non-return in protest against the expansion of medical school quotas will all return to classes starting from the second semester.
Students who did not return and are subject to repeating a year will be treated according to the established rules. However, since the education period will be compressed, there will be no impact on promotion or graduation schedules except for third- and fourth-year clinical students, who have practical training. For third-year clinical students, graduation timing will be determined autonomously by each university, resulting in either "February graduation" or "August graduation" depending on the number of class hours and other factors. The national medical licensing exam (Kuksi) for third- and fourth-year clinical students will be held once more in the first half of the year. This is intended to ensure there are no difficulties in producing new medical professionals.
With this, the 18-month-long conflict between doctors and the government appears to be coming to a close. However, as the government’s principle of "no academic flexibility" has been compromised in the process, there is now controversy over fairness and special treatment.
On the 21st, the deadline set by some medical schools including Yonsei University, Korea University, and Kyungpook National University for returning approached, and a student was seen moving at Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. 2025.3.21. Photo by Kang Jinhyung
On the 25th, the Ministry of Education announced its "Position on the Return and Education of Medical Students." The ministry stated it will accept the plan for normalizing medical education, which was submitted to the government the previous day by the Council of University Presidents for Medical School Advancement (Uichonghyeop), and will provide the necessary administrative and financial support.
The 8,305 students who were scheduled to repeat a year due to non-participation in first semester classes will be handled according to school regulations, but they will be allowed to participate in second semester classes. Uichonghyeop proposed that "if non-returning students attend classes from the second semester, education will be provided by year, and credits not earned in the first semester can be made up during vacations and other periods." This will require changes to the usual medical school regulations, which are typically based on annual units.
In addition, students who would normally only be able to earn credits in March of the following year will now be able to promote and graduate on schedule without omission due to the "collective return in the second semester" policy.
As a result, the government’s previously emphasized principle of "no academic flexibility" has been broken, and the academic disadvantages associated with "repeating a year" have effectively lost their impact.
Accordingly, first- and second-year pre-medical students will be able to promote as usual in March of next year; first-year clinical students will graduate in February 2029; second-year clinical students in February 2028; and fourth-year clinical students can now graduate in August of next year as part of the "Cosmos Graduation." Third-year clinical students, who must complete at least 52 weeks of clinical practice, will have graduation in either February or August depending on the university’s decision. A compromise proposal for "May graduation" was also suggested, but was scrapped due to criticism that it constituted an unusual special privilege.
The national medical licensing exam will also be held additionally.
The exam is open to medical school graduates or those expected to graduate within six months. Fourth-year clinical students graduating in August would not be able to obtain their medical license until March 2027 if an additional exam is not held, as they would have to take the practical exam between September and November of the following year and the written exam in January 2027. Therefore, an additional exam will be held in the first half of the year to ensure a steady supply of medical personnel. This also applies to third-year clinical students graduating in August. If an additional exam is not held in the first half, they would only be eligible for the license more than five months after graduation, in the following year. Uichonghyeop proposed, "We request an additional national exam be held for third- and fourth-year clinical students graduating in August," and the Ministry of Education responded, "We plan to review this."
On the 21st, the deadline set by some medical schools including Yonsei University, Korea University, and Kyungpook National University for return is approaching, and the corridor of Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, appears quiet. 2025.3.21. Photo by Kang Jinhyung
With these measures, the conflict between doctors and the government is moving toward resolution. However, there is criticism that the government has once again broken its own principles, and issues of fairness and special treatment for medical students are likely to surface.
The petition titled "Opposition to Granting Special Return Privileges to Medical Students and Residents," which was posted on the 17th, had gained over 64,000 signatures as of 10 a.m. on this day.
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