Overview

• The South Korean government has officially frozen the 2026 medical school admissions quota at 3,058, reversing the previous plan to expand enrollment by 2,000 seats annually.
• Medical students' class attendance remains below 30%, despite the rollback, as protests over the enrollment policy continue into their 14th month.
• Universities, including Yonsei and Korea University, are enforcing disciplinary measures such as academic probation and failure notices for students boycotting classes.
• The prolonged standoff risks creating an unprecedented 'tripling' scenario, where students from three academic years could overlap in first-year courses, straining institutional resources.
• The government has tied further policy adjustments to the normalization of academic operations, emphasizing the urgency for students to return to class.