Med students declare full return

[Anchor]

We have just received this news.

Medical students who had left school in protest against the government's medical school expansion policy have announced their full return.

This marks a potential turning point in the year-long standoff between the medical community and the government, and we will connect with our reporter for more details.

Reporter Jin Sun-min, the medical student organization has issued a joint statement with the National Assembly.

What are the details?

[Report]

Yes, just moments ago at the Korean Medical Association headquarters, representatives from the medical student association and the president of the Korean Medical Association held an emergency press conference alongside National Assembly Education Committee Chairman Kim Young-ho and Health and Welfare Committee Chairman Park Joo-min to deliver a joint statement.

The medical student association officially announced their decision to return to school, ending 1 year and 5 months of collective class refusal in protest of the government’s policy to expand medical school admissions.

In the joint statement, the association declared, “We will trust the National Assembly and the government and return to school,” adding that they are committed to restoring normalcy in medical education and the healthcare system.

The medical student association also clarified that no preconditions have been set for their return and that no specific timeline has been determined.

In response, the Korean Medical Association pledged to actively support the normalization of medical education, and the National Assembly promised to work with the government to establish a concrete normalization plan.

The student association, the Korean Medical Association, and the National Assembly jointly called on the Lee Jae Myung administration to "prepare comprehensive measures for students to return by normalizing the academic schedule."

They also proposed the formation of a joint consultative body including stakeholders in the medical field to improve the education and training environment.

As most medical schools have already implemented measures to delay student progression, flexible academic measures are needed for actual returns. However, the Ministry of Education maintains that no such flexibility will be granted.

In response, Lee Sun-woo, the representative of the medical student association, stated, "We are not asking for special privileges like flexibility," and emphasized that they will complete their education properly without shortcuts, by making use of summer terms and vacation periods.

This is the first time the medical student organization has formally expressed its intention to return to school, follow-up discussions regarding academic flexibility are expected to take place between the government and individual universities.

Earlier, on the 7th, Korean Medical Association President Kim Taek-woo and medical student association head Lee Sun-woo met with Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and suggested that "medical students should return by the 21st at the latest."

This has been Jin Sun-min reporting from the Korean Medical Association headquarters for KBS News.