All medical students declare return, the first step towards the normalization of healthcare

Medical students from nationwide universities have officially declared their return to school.

The medical students, who had left since February of last year, decided to return as a gesture of trust in the National Assembly and the government for the normalization of medical education and healthcare.

On July 12, the National Assembly's Education Committee, the Health and Welfare Committee, the Korean Medical Association, and the Korean Association of Medical Colleges and Medical Graduate Schools Student Association (medical student council) held a press conference at the Korean Medical Association headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul, to announce this decision.

The medical student council stated, “By trusting the National Assembly and the government and returning to school, we will work hard to normalize medical education and the healthcare system.”

Lee Seon-woo, the chair of the emergency response committee, explained, “Today marks 509 days since we left school. The reason we had been away for so long was that the current state of medical education and the healthcare system made it difficult to maintain an environment that is among the best in the world when we become practicing doctors.”

Request to form a consultative body for the normalization of academic schedules and the recovery of the healthcare system

The medical students requested the following conditions for their return: “They seek comprehensive measures to normalize the academic schedule so that medical students can return to education, establish a consultative body to recover damages caused by the previous government's reckless policies, and ensure the participation of relevant parties in long-term improvements in education and training environments.”

They also emphasized, “The resumption of resident training cannot be delayed any longer,” urging the National Assembly and the healthcare community to quickly form a practical discussion unit with stakeholders to devise concrete plans.

They appealed, “Starting with the normalization of academic schedules for medical students, please pave the way for the normalization of healthcare that all citizens can feel secure about.”

However, they refrained from making specific remarks about an exact return date, citing the need for several collaborative efforts to be addressed first.

Chair Lee emphasized, “It is impossible to provide an exact date. Several collaborations with (the government, National Assembly, etc.) must precede this.”

Focus on ensuring the quality of education and restoring trust

After returning to school, the medical students stressed their commitment to fully utilize the educational time available during breaks and the academic year without any compression, in terms of both quantity and quality of education. Chair Lee made it clear that there would be no ‘academic flexibility,’ explaining, “This means we will not compromise on the quality of education or reduce the overall amount, utilizing breaks and seasonal courses effectively.”

Regarding the background of the change in position after not returning despite previous conciliatory measures by the government, Chair Lee stated, “We have been rebuilding the trust lost during the previous government through long-term dialogue. We have now established a relationship to return to the field that responds positively to the efforts of the two chairs (Park Joo-min and Kim Young-ho).”

He emphasized, “The medical student council trusts the new government and National Assembly's proposals for the normalization of medical education and training. As students, we will take responsibility to ensure that confusion like this instance does not recur.” He also added, “We deeply empathize with the public's concerns. As students, we pledge to devote ourselves diligently to our studies so that we can protect the public in the healthcare field.”

The promise of support from the KMA and the National Assembly

The Korean Medical Association pledged to actively support the normalization of medical education and continue serious discussions with the government.

Chair Kim Taek-woo bowed his head, saying, “For the past year and a half, the public has endured unspeakable fatigue and pain. I sincerely apologize, deeply empathizing with that suffering.”

The National Assembly promised to work with the government to expedite the establishment of plans for the normalization of medical students' education while ensuring that returned medical students can focus on their studies without facing disadvantages or anxiety.

Education Committee Chair Kim Young-ho mentioned that he conveyed the plan for the normalization of medical education proposed by the medical student council to President Yoon Suk-yeol and the Prime Minister, stating, “As each university has different circumstances, consider today a significant first step.”

Meanwhile, regarding the absence of residents at the press conference or discussions, Health and Welfare Committee Chair Park Joo-min said, “We are discussing separately with the residents and will aim to resolve the resident training resumption issues more quickly and deeply than before.”

Image source: Lee Seon-woo, Emergency Response Committee Chair of the Korean Association of Medical Colleges and Medical Graduate Schools (left) and Kim Taek-woo, Chair of the Korean Medical Association, announcing a joint statement for the normalization of medical education at the Korean Medical Association in Yongsan, Seoul, on the afternoon of July 12. Medical students, who left school in protest against the expanded medical school enrollment policies of the Yoon Suk-yeol government, have expressed their intention to return to school, and the National Assembly has promised to actively support the normalization of medical education. July 12, 2025/News1, News1, Empty medical school classroom / News1, Kim Taek-woo, Chair of the Korean Medical Association (third from the left), greeting at the joint statement announcement for the normalization of medical education on the afternoon of July 12 at the Korean Medical Association in Yongsan, Seoul. Medical students who had left school in response to policies pushing for expansion in medical school enrollment have announced their intention to return, and the National Assembly has vowed to actively support the normalization of medical education. From the left: Kim Young-ho, National Assembly Education Committee Chair, Lee Seon-woo, Emergency Response Committee Chair of the Korean Association of Medical Colleges and Medical Graduate Schools, Chair Kim, Health and Welfare Committee Chair Park Joo-min. July 12, 2025/News1.