Many Korean male medical students who took leave of absence en masse prepared to enlist in the military. However, the government maintains a position to encourage them to return to their studies as the allied leave itself is not recognized.

The Association of Korean Medical University and Graduate Medical School Students surveyed military leave for male medical students who did not fulfill their military service obligations on Monday and Tuesday last week and shared the survey results that received 5,016 responses.

According to the shared survey results, 2,460 students indicated that they would enlist in active duty. Of these, 419 have already signed up. The 2,460 students account for 80 percent of the current medical school enrollment quota of 3,058 students.

The association expected the number of students who have actually applied for military enlistment to be higher, as the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) began accepting self-selected enlistment dates for active duty in 2024 on Wednesday last week, a day after the survey closed. Those who applied for active duty enlistment on that date can choose an enlistment date between March and June.

Among the 2,460 medical students, those who had not yet signed up for active duty also said they would either sign up between March and August or apply for combat medics in July or August.

"The anticipation of forced and compressed classes (after returning to study) and the worry that the government can arbitrarily withdraw military doctors and public affairs doctors contributed to the survey results," the medical student association said in a statement sharing the results.

However, the government insisted that medical students return to school, as no leaves of absence were granted after their collective boycott of classes.

Second Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Park Min-soo said this on Tuesday at a regular briefing of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

"Since there hasn't been a single case of allied class boycott approved yet, it's not appropriate to answer based on the assumption that they have taken an allied leave," Park said, responding to a question about medical students' intention to enlist in active duty. "The government and school authorities will do their best to help students return to school and continue their studies.”