A government-imposed deadline for medical students to return to classes after a year of boycotts is set to expire on Monday. Most major medical schools report that their students have already decided to resume their studies.
The March 31 deadline was established earlier this month after the government announced a decision to set the medical school enrollment quota for 2026 at 3,058, a number consistent with previous years. This followed last year’s plan to increase admissions by 2,000 to address a shortage of doctors. However, the government’s revised quota is contingent on medical students returning to classes, as many had taken collective leaves in protest of the proposed increase in medical school spots.
While students initially opposed the government's proposal, many have since changed their stance, influenced by strong persuasion from professors and tough reactions from medical schools, including threats of expulsion for students failing to meet the deadline.
Although most universities are set to close course registration on Monday, two schools, Kangwon National University and Jeonbuk National University, have extended their deadlines to early to mid-April. Students at major universities such as Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University have already decided to return.
The Ministry of Education plans to gather data on the number of returning students before finalizing the enrollment quota for next year’s admissions. Based on current trends, officials expect the quota to remain at 3,058. However, if students choose to leave or boycott again after returning, the government may revert to the original quota of 5,058.
