8,753 medical students file for leave of absence in protest of admission quota hike
Medical workers enter a medical school building at Chungnam National University, Feb. 20. Yonhap
An additional 7,620 medical students from across the nation have filed for leave of absence in protest against the government's plan to drastically expand the medical school enrollment quota, the education ministry said Wednesday.
They collectively filed leave requests at 27 medical schools nationwide Tuesday, bringing the total number of medical students who opted for leave in the past two days to 8,753, according to the ministry.
The combined figure marks 43.8 percent of the total medical school student population of approximately 20,000.
Of the total absence requests filed Tuesday, only 30 were granted on account of valid reasons, including health issues or serving mandatory military service, the ministry said.
The collective student action comes amid growing concerns over a possible health service crisis as nearly 9,000 trainee doctors, or over 70 percent of junior doctors, have submitted their resignations en masse in protest of the plan to add 2,000 new seats to the country's medical school enrollment quota next year.
The education ministry said in addition to the collective leave requests, class boycotts have been confirmed at three medical schools.
The ministry maintains that collective action does not constitute a valid reason for granting a leave of absence to students and were stepping up efforts to persuade students to return to the classroom. (Yonhap)