South Korea's Jeonnam Region Gets Last Chance for National Medical School

The Jeonnam-Gwangju Metropolitan City, which had been on the verge of losing its bid to establish a national medical school, has been granted a reprieve by the government. Governor Min Hyung-bae announced on August 28 that the Ministry of Education has given the region until the end of the month to select a candidate university and submit a proposal for a new national medical college.

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The Ministry of Education has decided to proceed with the relevant procedures by having us select one candidate university by the 30th and submit a proposal.

The region is now in a race against time, with a deadline of August 30 to choose between Mokpo National University and Suncheon National University. A selection committee will review the universities' proposals over two days, and the chosen institution will then submit a joint proposal with the city to the Ministry of Education. The medical school aims to admit 100 students.

Governor Min assured that areas whose universities are not selected will receive hospital-level medical facilities. He also extended an olive branch to the regional council chairman, proposing joint efforts to resolve local conflicts. Previously, both universities had agreed to merge to establish a medical school and build university hospitals in the eastern and western parts of the province. However, disagreements over the medical school's location and the university's name led to missed deadlines for both the merger application and the medical school enrollment quota application.

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Although the merger agreement between Mokpo and Suncheon universities was not reached, causing us to miss the government's submission deadline and risk losing the chance to establish a national medical school, a path has reopened.

Governor Min's plea to President Lee Jae-myung at a cabinet meeting on August 25 resulted in the government granting this final opportunity. "Although the merger agreement between Mokpo and Suncheon universities was not reached, causing us to miss the government's submission deadline and risk losing the chance to establish a national medical school, a path has reopened," Min stated. "I know that not everyone can be satisfied. As mayor, I will bear the heavy and painful political responsibility of accepting the decision."

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I know that not everyone can be satisfied. As mayor, I will bear the heavy and painful political responsibility of accepting the decision.

The governor implored the universities and regional stakeholders to accept the decision to establish a national medical school, regardless of which university is chosen. "I earnestly request Mokpo University, Suncheon University, the regional political circles, and related organizations to accept this decision to establish a national medical school in our region," he appealed. "I hope that we can all work together to successfully establish a national medical school, no matter which university is selected."

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I earnestly request Mokpo University, Suncheon University, the regional political circles, and related organizations to accept this decision to establish a national medical school in our region.