More than 40 percent of South Korea’s medical school students have been officially held back following a prolonged class boycott that disrupted the first semester of 2025, the Education Ministry announced Friday. With 46 students also confirmed for expulsion, the country’s largest academic disciplinary action in medical education is now official.
According to the ministry, 8,305 students, or 42.6 percent of the 19,475 enrolled across 40 medical schools, now have to repeat the semester after failing to attend classes by the April 30 deadline. Another 0.2 percent of the total students have been confirmed for expulsion, as per each university's regulations.
In addition, 3,027 students (15.5 percent) in pre-medical programs at schools without first-semester retention policies are likely to receive academic warnings that could lead to future disciplinary action.
Some 1,389 students were found to have registered for only one course during the spring semester — a strategic move widely interpreted as an attempt to maintain student status while avoiding academic retention.
Excluding those students, the ministry estimates that just 6,708 students, or 34.4 percent of total enrollees, can actively participate in full coursework this semester.
Though this marks an improvement over the 25.9 percent attendance rate recorded mid-April, before the government finalized a freeze in the 2026 medical school admissions quota, the figure underscores the unprecedented scale of academic disruption.
The ministry emphasized that students in pre-med tracks who have not been formally held back or expelled may still return in the fall semester and advance if they meet graduation requirements. However, it warned that repeated academic warnings could ultimately result in expulsion under university rules.
"With these disciplinary measures now finalized, we will work closely with each institution to ensure that students who have returned to class can study in a stable academic environment," the ministry said in a statement.
"We will strictly protect the educational rights of returning students through coordinated efforts across government agencies."
To further stabilize the situation and restore trust, the Education Ministry will launch a temporary medical education committee, which will include student representatives to incorporate their voices into policy decisions going forward.
With the boycott’s consequences now officially tallied, the focus shifts to damage control and restoring continuity in Korea’s medical education system.
The government also reaffirmed plans to support transfer admissions to fill gaps caused by student withdrawals or expulsions, aiming to minimize disruptions to the long-term pipeline of medical personnel.
"We will closely coordinate with universities to ensure that students can receive priority in academic resources if multiple cohorts end up taking the same year-level classes," the ministry added, referring to the widely anticipated “tripling” scenario in which students from the 2024, 2025 and 2026 cohorts may all share first-year coursework.
jychoi@heraldcorp.com
