Ed Minister meets med students

[Anchor]

Even after the medical school expansion policy was scrapped, a significant number of medical students continue to refuse to attend classes.

In this situation, Education Minister Lee Ju-ho met with medical students for the first time.

What was discussed?

Reporter Go Ah-reum has the story.

[Report]

Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs Lee Ju-ho met with medical students and residents.

This is the first meeting since the conflict between the government and the medical community erupted last February.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the need to restore trust between the government and the medical community and proposed the establishment of a separate body that includes medical students.

[Lee Ju-ho/Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education: "To actively gather opinions for the development of medical education, we will form a 'Medical Education Committee'...."]

The medical students expressed their anticipation for this long-awaited dialogue through a letter they had prepared in advance.

[Choi Anna/Principal of Alternative Medical Policy School/reading a letter from a medical student: "We always feel like we are being pushed out of the classroom. I am filled with hope that this meeting has finally been arranged."]

During a closed-door meeting, the medical students conveyed concerns from the field, including the so-called 'doubling' situation where the 2024 and 2025 student groups are attending classes together.

They pointed out that the low return rate of medical students after the scrapping of the expansion policy is due to distrust in government policies that ignore the realities on the ground.

[Medical student/voice altered: "It sounds irresponsible to say, 'We'll solve it, so come back,' after unilaterally pushing through policies."]

The Korea Association of Medical Colleges, led by hardliners, did not participate in this meeting.

Although official dialogue has resumed after more than a year, the conflict between the government and medical students regarding class resumption appears to have resulted in a collective failure to advance.

This is KBS News, Go Ah-reum.