The Ministry of Education has reiterated its stance against medical students taking leaves of absence en masse, warning universities that such actions cannot be considered valid reasons for academic leave.
In an official notice sent to 40 medical schools nationwide on Tuesday, the ministry stated that it had repeatedly informed universities that leave requests on a large scale "cannot be a justifiable reason for a leave of absence.”
The directive comes as the government continues to pressure striking medical students to return, threatening them with disciplinary action such as academic warnings, the retention of grades or expulsion, if they do not comply.
The government further argued that leaves of absence from medical schools disrupt university operations and harm other departments, warning that long term, such academic disruptions could have dire consequences for the people's health and lives in the future.
Several universities, including Seoul National University, Yonsei University and Korea University, have set this weekend or early next week as their deadline for students to resume classes.
jychoi@heraldcorp.com
