South Korea medical students end 17-month boycott of classes

It is not clear when the students will return, but the government has welcomed the news.

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Students and trainee doctors walked out to oppose government plans to increase medical school admissions, arguing it would lower the quality of the education they received.

No timeline for their return has been provided by the association, but the group has urged the government to restore the academic calendar and improve training conditions.

Prime Minister Kim Min-Seok welcomed the end of the boycott, describing it as a "big step forward".

"It's time to take a deeper look at the medical field, the Congress, and the government, so that citizens can help solve problems," he wrote in a statement on Facebook.