As the deadline for medical students to return set by 40 medical schools nationwide approaches, the People Power Party appealed on the 20th to medical students, saying, "The return is the first step toward normalizing healthcare and normalizing medical education."
Kweon Seong-dong, the floor leader of the People Power Party, stated at a meeting held at the National Assembly that “from today, the deadline for medical students to return, determined by the 40 medical schools nationwide, will be reached sequentially” and that “the first step toward normalizing healthcare is normalizing medical education, and the start of normalizing medical education is your return. I expect the courageous choice of medical students.”
Kweon noted, “The universities' decision on a principled response to the leave of absence of medical students is because if collective leaves are allowed this year, the second-year students next year will increase to three grades, resulting in an incapacitated educational situation.”
He emphasized efforts to mediate the conflict between the ruling party and the medical community, saying, “In January, the People Power Party requested the government to apply special cases for training and deferment of military service for residents demanded by six organizations, including the Korean Medical Association. Earlier this month, I listened to the opinions of medical school deans who insist that next year's medical student admission numbers should return to the previous level, thus opening a dialogue. The government willingly accepted such requests from the party.”
He added, “No one is satisfied with the current situation. The government and medical community are in conflict, professors and students are fighting, and seniors and juniors are quarreling. Among them, patients and families who cannot receive timely treatment are spending each day in distress.” He asserted, “We must start again. We must now find realistic solutions together.”
Previously, the government proposed a compromise that if medical students return by the end of this month, it would scrap the plan to increase the number of medical schools in 2026. The 40 universities nationwide also decided to reject all leaves of absence from medical students without just cause. The 'return deadline' for Korea University, Yonsei University, and Kyungpook National University medical schools is today. However, most medical students are still refusing to return to classes, leading to ongoing confrontations between the universities and medical students.