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Korea University mass flunks medical students for nonattendance

Published: 11 Apr. 2025, 20:06

Korea University College of Medicine in Seongbuk District, central Seoul, on April 11. [NEWS1]

Korea University decided to fail around 100 medical students for not meeting the required number of attendance days. This marks the first mass flunking since the conflict between the government and doctors began in February last year.

The university held an academic affairs committee meeting on Thursday, led by the dean of the College of Medicine, to review the students’ participation. It concluded that more than 110 third- and fourth-year students in the medical program would be held back due to insufficient attendance in clinical classes, in accordance with school regulations.

About 70 of the affected students are in their third year, accounting for roughly 80 percent of the total. For fourth-year students, some 40 individuals — 58 percent of the cohort — were absent from a three-week clinical clerkship that began on April 3, making them subject to flunking as well.

“Normally, students are held back at the end of the academic year, but this decision was made midsemester because the issue isn’t performance-related — it’s a matter of complete nonparticipation,” a university official said Friday. “Details on the formal notification process will be discussed in a follow-up meeting scheduled after April 14.”

The move signals that universities are beginning to respond more firmly as medical students continue to boycott classes following mass leaves of absence over the medical school quota dispute. Most universities, including Korea University, consider students subject to flunking if they miss more than one-third of their instructional days. For most schools, that threshold falls in early April, and formal flunking procedures are expected to begin next week.

Yonsei University issued a preliminary notice to affected students on Monday and plans to finalize and notify the list of failed students on April 15. Pusan National University also warned on the same day that continued absence would lead to failure and is preparing to carry out disciplinary action soon.

Personnel enter a medical school in Seoul on April 8. [YONHAP]

“In this situation, where students are acting on their convictions, universities also have no choice but to respond according to the rules,” said an official at a local medical school.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education is set to finalize the number of medical school admissions for the 2026 academic year. Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Lee Ju-ho, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong and Korean Medical Association President Kim Taek-woo met on Thursday to discuss possible resolutions to the ongoing conflict, including the admissions quota.

The government has stated it will freeze next year’s medical school admissions at 3,058 students if it determines that students have returned to normal classes.

However, opposition has emerged from universities already preparing for an admissions increase and from some parents of prospective applicants, who are pushing back against the government’s proposal.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY LEE BO-RAM,LEE HOO-YEON [[email protected]]