Overview

• Vice Education Minister Choi Eun-ok canceled a planned July 23 briefing on measures to reintegrate roughly 8,000 boycotting medical students after universities failed to agree on key details.
• Medical schools and the Korean Association of Medical Colleges have agreed that returning students must sign anti-discrimination and conduct pledges to ensure a respectful learning environment.
• The Council of University Presidents and deans from 40 medical schools have formally requested an additional licensing exam session in early 2026 to prevent senior students from facing multi-month licensure delays.
• Without an extra exam session, students returning this fall would be ineligible for the regular licensing schedule and could wait until January 2027 to obtain their medical licenses.
• The Ministry of Education said it will announce a new date for the postponed briefing after further consultations among medical schools.