South Korea’s Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on July 13 described the

decision of the country’s medical students to return to school

, after more than a year of boycotting classes, as a “big step forward” and a “relief”.

Medical students had

walked out of school

in February 2024 to protest a government plan to increase medical school admissions.

Trainee doctors had argued that this plan would lower the quality of medical education, and said more reform was needed to attract doctors into essential care such as emergency or paediatrics instead.

On July 12, protesting students announced that they would return to campus and called on the authorities to normalise academic schedules.

In a Facebook post , Mr Kim said he will make efforts to find a solution to the issue, after President Lee Jae-myung instructed him and the government to find ways to address it.

“What the people want will matter,” he wrote.

The Korean Medical Association, the main group lobbying for doctors, had earlier urged the government to take steps to restore the academic calendar and improve training conditions.

However, a specific timeline for the return was not provided.

“ We will place our trust in the government and Parliament and commit to returning to school to help normalise medical education and the healthcare system,” the association said in a statement, which was jointly issued with Parliament’s education committee and lobby groups representing medical students.

It also called on the president and the government to form a task force to address long-term reforms in medical education and training, as well as to ensure the participation of all stakeholders, including students.

More on this topic