On the 31st, the deadline set by the government for the return of medical students, all 38 medical students out of 40 medical colleges and graduate schools nationwide returned. The medical education, which had been disrupted by collective leave in response to the government's announcement of an increase in medical school admissions last February, is on the brink of normalization after more than a year.
According to the medical community and universities, as of today, nearly all medical students from 38 out of 40 medical colleges have completed their registration or application for return for the first semester. Some universities are still accepting applications, but it is expected that all will be completed by midnight before the deadline.
The two medical colleges missing from the 'full return' are Inje University and Hallym University. These schools are currently unable to ascertain whether all students will return. Even excluding these two universities, the fact that students from 38 out of 40 medical colleges, representing 95%, have returned increases the likelihood that the government will meet the criteria of 'full return within this month' that it stipulated when promising to recruit 3,058 medical students for the 2026 academic year.
The Ministry of Education has also stated that the meaning of full return does not imply 100% but rather a level that allows for normal classes. However, the government has a policy to determine the return status based on class participation rather than mere registration, so the key will be whether students actually attend classes starting in April.
The Ministry of Education's announcement of next year's medical school admission numbers is expected to be made as early as next week, after observing students' class participation. If students reapply for leave or are absent from classes after returning, it will be judged that they have not truly returned, and next year's medical school admission number will remain at the existing 5,058. Spokesperson Koo Yeon-hee noted during a regular briefing that 'payment of tuition does not equate to a return' and added, 'It will take more time to see actual class participation.'