South Korean medical students end walkout, urge education reforms, healthcare system overhaul

Name: South Korean patients suffer as healthcare system in turmoil amid doctor protest
Uploaded: 2025-07-12T12:43:12.000Z
Duration: 3 min 4 s
Description: South Korean patients suffer as healthcare system in turmoil amid doctor protest

Thousands of medical students walked out of school in early 2024 in opposition to a government plan to add thousands of new spots at medical schools

Reading Time:1 minute

Why you can trust SCMP

Thousands of South Korean medical students will return to campus, ending last year’s walkout, and are calling for a joint task force to normalise academic schedules and implement long-term reforms to the healthcare education and training system. Photo: EPA-EFE

Reuters

Published: 8:43pm, 12 Jul 2025Updated: 9:30pm, 12 Jul 2025

South Korean medical students who walked out of school last year in protest at a government plan to increase medical school admissions said on Saturday that they would return to campus, calling on authorities to normalise academic schedules.

The Korean Medical Association (KMA), the main lobby group for doctors, in a statement urged the government to take steps to restore the academic calendar and improve training conditions.

“We will place our trust in the government and parliament and commit to returning to school to help normalise medical education and the healthcare system,” the KMA said in the statement, issued jointly with parliament’s education committee and lobby groups representing medical students.

A specific timeline for the return was not provided.

03:04

South Korean patients suffer as healthcare system in turmoil amid doctor protest

Thousands of medical students walked out of school in early 2024 in opposition to a plan by the previous administration to add thousands of new spots at medical schools.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x