Professional Resistance: Why Korean Medical Students are Boycotting Over Increasing Medical School Places

In February 2024, medical students in South Korea began submitting leave-of-absence requests in protest of a 65% increase in the number of medical school places in 2025. 14,000 medical students have boycotted classes and 12,000 doctors have resigned en masse. The 2024 Korean medical student collective action highlights the 'power' of medical students, the need for independent medical licensing bodies and the risks to the quality of medical education when places in medical schools are rapidly increased. The South Korean healthcare system is consistently ranked as one of the best in the world but there is now a significant risk that few new doctors will graduate and enter the workforce in March 2025.