Medical students nationwide have resolved to request their schools grant leave of absence applications they filed in collective action protesting the government's plan to dramatically raise the medical school enrollment quota, their association said Wednesday.

The Korean Medical Student Association said the decision was unanimously reached during a plenary session over the weekend. Under the resolution, members from all 40 medical schools across the country will ask their respective schools to grant their requests for leave of absence.

The requests will be made collectively on the day that any medical school grants a leave of absence application filed by a protesting student for the first time, the group said.

The action came amid escalating tensions between the government and the medical circles over the plan to hike the medical school enrollment quota by 2,000 seats beginning next year to address a chronic shortage of doctors in rural areas and essential but less popular medical fields.

More than 90 percent of the country's 13,000 intern and resident doctors have stayed off their duties at general hospitals nationwide for over three weeks in protest, crippling health care services for emergent and serious patients at major health centers.

Joining the protest, thousands of medical students countrywide filed for leaves of absence in collective action, raising concerns that they could face grade retention en masse.

No such applications filed in collective action have been granted, with the education ministry remaining adamant that group action does not constitute a valid reason for school leave.

According to the ministry, 29 percent, or 5,451, of the country's 18,793 medical students had filed for school leave as of Monday through due procedures.

Including those whose school leave applications were not in accordance with the required procedures, such as signatures from parents and professors, the corresponding number reached 13,697.

Classes at about six medical schools had also been boycotted by students.

On Monday, the education ministry notified the 40 universities with medical schools that a ministry inspection could take place for schools granting leave applications en masse, in an apparent warning to the schools. (Yonhap)