As medical students return, South Korea confronts a test of fairness, stalled reform
After nearly 17 months of disruption, South Korea’s medical students have announced a return to school. The Korean Medical Students’ Association, in coordination with the Korean Medical Association and parliamentary committees, declared on July 12 that students would resume classes “in trust of the government and the National Assembly.”
This is a welcome turn in a prolonged standoff that has caused lasting damage to both medical education and public health. However, normalization must not come at the expense of academic integrity or institutional fairness. The path forward must be defined by accountability, not accommodation.
The government should treat the students’ return as an opportunity to stabilize the medical system and regain public confidence, but resist pressure to offer sweeping academic exemptions to those who chose to protest. More than 8,300 students across 40 medical schools face penalties — failed grades, academic probation or even expulsion — for skipping the first semester of 2025. Waiving these sanctions outright would weaken the authority of university regulations and penalize students who resumed their studies earlier in accordance with the rules.
Some flexibility may be necessary. Without adjustments, medical schools could find themselves managing three separate cohorts: students admitted in 2024, 2025 and 2026. This so-called “tripling” would strain educational capacity, compromise instruction and delay the training of new physicians. Any accommodations, however, must be narrow, transparent and grounded in policy, not dictated by public outcry.
The issue is not just administrative. The students’ walkout continued even after the government withdrew its proposal in April to expand the annual medical school quota by 2,000. The current administration, under President Lee Jae Myung, has made clear that any future increase will depend on broader political and social consensus. Nevertheless, many student leaders rejected the reversal. Some reportedly harassed peers who returned to class. Such behavior deserves consequences, not leniency.
The government, too, must reckon with its failures. The Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s push to raise admissions lacked adequate coordination with universities, hospitals and local governments. More than the policy itself, it was this flawed process that sparked intense backlash. Physicians raised alarms over training quality and burnout. Students feared entering a system unprepared to absorb them. When the policy was eventually scrapped, critics were vindicated — reforms without institutional support are destined to falter.
Now that students and young doctors appear ready to reengage, political and medical leaders must respond with maturity. That begins by setting and maintaining firm boundaries. There should be no blanket amnesties, no shortcuts to graduation and no erosion of academic fairness. If policy decisions are made hastily or for convenience, public trust in both higher education and healthcare will only erode further.
Universities must do the hard work of reintegrating students without compromising quality. Some academic calendars may need restructuring. Additional teaching staff and clinical placements may be required. These efforts must strengthen, not dilute, the standards that define the medical profession. This crisis has also exposed deeper weaknesses in how reforms are designed. Future efforts must be anchored in preparation, consultation and consensus — not top-down mandates.
The cost of the medical disruption is already clear. Emergency rooms were strained. Surgeries were delayed. Patients were left uncertain. South Korea cannot afford another breakdown. While normalization is essential, so is accountability. Both the government and student leadership must publicly acknowledge their roles. Apologies are not a mere formality; they are a prerequisite for restoring the public’s trust.
A resolution is now in sight, but if it sacrifices educational standards and institutional fairness, the damage could outlast the crisis. South Korea’s medical system must move forward — not by forgetting, but by learning.
khnews@heraldcorp.com
