Seoul: South Korean medical students on Saturday announced they will end their months-long boycott and return to medical school, according to the Seoul-based Yonhap news agency. The decision was announced by the Korean Medical Student Association during a joint press conference with members of the National Assembly's education and welfare committees and the Korean Medical Association.

According to Philippines News Agency, the student leaders expressed their intent to return to school, placing their trust in the National Assembly and the government. They committed themselves toward normalizing medical education and the healthcare system. However, the group did not provide a specific date for when students would resume classes.

The announcement followed South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's call earlier this month for reforms in the health sector and urged dialogue with trainee doctors to resolve the crisis. Since February 2024, thousands of trainee doctors have staged walkouts, and many medical students have boycotted classes in protest of the government's plan to increase the annual medical school admission quota by 2,000 starting in 2025.

Although the previous administration reversed the decision, many trainee doctors and students had yet to fully return to hospitals and universities. The protest is one of the longest-running strikes in the medical sector globally.