Following a 17-month-long disruption, the Korean Medical Association announced that medical students will finally return to their classes, marking an important shift after their extensive protest against government plans that aimed to escalate annual medical school admissions from approximately 3,000 to nearly 5,000. The students argued that such changes would dilute the quality of their education and training, despite the government's justification that a higher number of medical professionals were needed to meet public demand.

Prime Minister Kim Min-Seok praised the end of the protest, describing it as a "big step forward" for the medical sector. He emphasized the necessity of thorough examination of the healthcare landscape by lawmakers in cooperation with citizens to address structural challenges.

As part of the agreement, the Korean Medical Association expressed renewed commitment to improving educational standards and normalizing the healthcare system. In a collaborative statement, they indicated their trust in both government and parliamentary actions to amend existing issues within the medical education framework.

Despite this resolution, a concerning aspect reported by Yonhap News Agency revealed that 8,305 students may face challenges ahead, including the potential for grade retention, as they are required to repeat the same academic year due to the significant disruption caused by the boycott.

The situation continues to evolve as the medical community and the government engage in dialogue regarding the training and quality of healthcare professionals in South Korea.