AFP: South Korean Medical Students to Resume Classes, Ending 17-Month Boycott | WPN World People News

South Korea's medical reform controversy has taken a major turn. The Korean Medical Association told AFP on July 14 that thousands of medical students have decided to end their 17-month-long boycott, with an estimated 8,300 students expected to return to campus. The move is expected to ease mounting pressure on the healthcare system caused by both the doctors’ strike and the student walkout.

The protest began in early 2024 when then-President Yoon Suk-yeol pushed through a plan to significantly increase medical school admissions, citing the need to address doctor shortages in South Korea’s rapidly aging society. The policy sparked fierce backlash from the medical community. In response, resident doctors went on strike and medical students boycotted classes, leading to surgery cancellations and disrupted medical services across the country. The government eventually announced a freeze on the enrollment expansion in March this year, paving the way for negotiations.

The Korean Medical Student Association said that a prolonged boycott could lead to the collapse of the medical system and thus decided to resume classes. Each medical school will determine its own schedule for reopening. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok welcomed the decision, calling it a “major breakthrough,” and revealed that President Lee Jae-myung is actively considering follow-up solutions. However, around 12,000 resident doctors—on strike since last year—have yet to return to work, and the broader crisis in the medical sector remains unresolved.