Seoul: South Korean medical students have announced an end to their prolonged boycott, pledging to return to medical school. This development was reported by the Seoul-based Yonhap news agency during a joint press conference held by the Korean Medical Student Association, the National Assembly's education and welfare committees, and the Korean Medical Association.

According to Anadolu Agency, the students expressed their trust in the National Assembly and government, vowing to work towards normalizing medical education and the healthcare system. Despite this announcement, the group did not specify the exact date when students would resume their classes.

The decision follows a call from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung earlier this month, urging for reforms within the health sector and advocating for dialogue with trainee doctors to address the ongoing crisis. Since February 2024, thousands of trainee doctors have participated in walkouts, and many medical students have boycotted their classes to protest the government's plan to increase medical school admission quotas by 2,000 starting in 2025.

Although the previous administration reversed the decision to increase quotas, many trainee doctors and students had not fully returned to hospitals and universities. This protest has been one of the longest-running strikes in the global medical sector.