SEOUL, July 12, 2025 – Thousands of South Korean medical students have officially ended their 17-month boycott of university classes, marking a major shift in a prolonged standoff with the government over healthcare reform.
The protest, which began in early 2024, was triggered by a controversial plan to increase medical school admissions by 2,000 students annually in an effort to tackle the country’s growing doctor shortage.
The boycott had paralyzed South Korea’s medical education system, with students refusing to attend classes or clinical rotations. Many were supported by senior doctors and the Korean Medical Association (KMA), which argued that the government’s plan focused too much on numbers and not enough on improving infrastructure, training capacity, and working conditions for junior doctors.
Student representatives said their decision to return was not a surrender but a “responsible step forward” aimed at constructive engagement. In a public statement, they urged the government and National Assembly to form a taskforce involving students, educators, practicing physicians, and policymakers to overhaul the medical education system before expanding enrolment.
President Lee Jae-Myung, who took office in June following the impeachment of his predecessor, welcomed the students’ return and stressed the need to rebuild trust between the government and the medical community. “Let’s focus on reforms that improve the quality of medical education and ensure better patient care,” he said.
University deans and teaching hospitals are now working on compressed academic calendars to make up for lost time, though no definitive timeline has been announced for a full return to normalcy. Meanwhile, public sentiment remains divided, with many citizens expressing frustration over prolonged disruptions to both education and healthcare access.
The government maintains that increasing the number of doctors is necessary to address regional health disparities and an aging population. However, critics argue that any expansion without systemic reform risks overburdening already strained medical institutions and may not lead to equitable improvements in care.