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65% of med students yet to return, face warnings or even expulsion

Published: 09 May. 2025, 18:03

A pedestrian walks by a medical school in downtown Seoul on May 9. [NEWS1]

Despite the government’s decision to restore medical school enrollment to the pre-expansion figure of 3,058 students for the 2026 academic year, 65 percent of medical students have yet to return to class — and most now face academic penalties including expulsion, being held back or academic probation.

A total of 12,767 out of 19,457 students — or 65.6 percent — across 40 medical schools had not returned to class as of Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Education on Friday. The figure includes students from all seven year levels, from first-year premedical to fourth-year clinical students.

Of those who remain absent, 46 are expected to be dismissed, 8,305 will likely be held back and 3,027 are projected to receive academic warnings. Another 1,389 students registered for just one course in an apparent attempt to avoid penalties but still failed to return to class.

Dismissal removes a student’s name from the school’s academic register and generally precludes re-enrollment unless the university makes an exception. Repeating a year delays academic progress by denying advancement to the next level. Academic warnings, commonly issued to premedical students, are formal notices of poor academic standing.

The remaining 6,708 students are eligible to complete the spring semester. A ministry official noted that among those on academic probation or enrolled for only one credit, “3,650 premedical students may still advance normally if they recover missed credits during seasonal sessions.”

Students at a medical school campus in downtown Seoul are seen on May 9. [NEWS1]

With the finalization of penalties, the Education Ministry said it will work closely with universities to ensure that returning students receive proper instruction and protection.

The ministry also said that the government will take strict measures to guarantee the learning rights of students who have resumed their studies, adding that it plans to establish a “Medical Education Committee” to collect input from students and other stakeholders to improve medical education.

The ministry also said it will help universities fill vacancies caused by withdrawals or dismissals by supporting transfer admissions.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHOI MIN-JI [[email protected]]