Amidst the government and medical community’s standoff over the expansion of medical school admissions for the 2025, Pusan National University (PNU) students of the School of Medicine submitted a collective petition for a hiatus, signaling a growing opposition to the increase in medical school admissions. The Faculty Council of PNU hospital (FC of PNUH) and the Council of School of Medicine Professors (CSMP) have also issued statements advocating for a comprehensive reassessment of the expansion.

Compiling the coverage by “Channel PNU” on March 1st, the “Task Force of PNU’s School of Medicine (PNU School of Medicine TF Team)” announced on its official Instagram account on February 20th that 582 students out of the 590 seats in the School of Medicine have signed the petition for collective hiatus. They have made it clear through a statement that they oppose the package for vital medical innovation and the expansion of medical school admissions, expressing their intention to take a collective hiatus. According to School of Medicine officials, the submitted petitions are just accepted. 

The commencement of medical classes is expected to be postponed due to the collective hiatus and refusal to attend classes and practical exercise. On February 21st, Dean Chang Chul-Hun of PNU’s School of Medicine stated “Regarding the collective hiatus, the Korea Association of Medical Colleges (KAMC) is compiling how each university is handling the situation. PNU is considering delaying the semester, and for the grade that already started classes, we will grant temporary breaks.”

Students of PNU School of Medicine are taking a firm stance. Kang Chan-Woo (Dept. of Medicine, 21), president of the School of Medicine’s Students Council, stated in an interview with “Channel PNU” on February 24th, “If the government’s policies are enforced, the consequences will be borne by future patients and students studying in medical colleges. Students and teachers who are aware of the realities of the medical field anticipate a major healthcare crisis.” Additionally, he mentioned that students of the School of Medicine are now studying Korea’s medical and insurance systems through the PNU School of Medicine TF Team and are planning initiatives such as the “10,000-hour Volunteer Challenge.”

The CSMP, FC of PNUH (Main Hospital), and the FC of PNU Yangsan Hospital released a joint statement demanding a reevaluation of the medical school expansion proposal from the starting point on February 29th. In their statement, they urged, “The government should cease its threats and intimidation towards residents and medical students. It should approach dialogue with sincerity. Unilateral expansion proposals resemble those that were only conceivable under the military dictatorships,” expressing a firm stance.

The government appears to be maintaining its position on expansion. It plans to conduct a survey on medical colleges’ expansion demand among major medical colleges and proceed with expansion based on the collected opinions. In response, the CSMP and the FC of PNUH said in the statement, “The re-investigation of demand for quotas may be abused as data for the government’s increase in medical quotas,” and asked for "postponing the response.” 

Meanwhile, medical school students and residents are submitting resignation letters and giving up their appointments. In response, the government mentioned the possibility of criminal prosecution and issued a return order until February 29th. However, it appears that the majority of specialists are sticking to their positions of submitting resignation letters. According to officials from PNU hospital, as of February 29th, out of 244 at the main hospital, 216 have submitted resignation letters, and out of 163 at PNU Yangsan Hospital, 155 have done the same, and it is difficult to predict the timing of their return.

In such a situation, medical gaps due to the mass resignations of specialists is accelerating. The government raised the healthcare crisis level to “serious,” the highest level, on February 23rd at 8am, and has been operating remote consultations and holiday services at emergency medical centers and public medical facilities. Professors are filling in the vacancies left by the resignations, ensuring the maintenance of essential medical services such as emergency surgeries. A staff member at PNU hospital summarized the situation, stating, “We are doing our best to minimize the gaps, but there may be differences in the situation depending on the department.”

Amidst the ongoing disagreements between the government and the medical community, the government has announced it will initiate administrative procedures starting from March 4th targeting specialists who have not returned to hospitals.

Reporter Yoon Ji-Won

Translated by Ha Chae-Won