The Muan County Council expressed deep regret over Mokpo National University not being selected as a candidate for the establishment of a national medical school, urging the need for concrete follow-up measures to address the marginalization of the Southwest region in healthcare, administration, and industry.
On August 31, the council read a statement titled 'Regret Over the Failure to Attract a National Medical School and Call for Addressing Southwest Marginalization' during a session at 11 a.m.
The Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City announced on August 30 that it had selected National Suncheon University, which scored 89.15 points, over Mokpo National University, which received 87.85 points, as the candidate university to recommend to the Ministry of Education. The score difference between the two universities was 1.30 points.
However, this decision is only the first step in the process, as the government still needs to finalize the establishment of the national medical school.
The council stated, 'The 36-year-long aspiration of the residents of the Southwest region to attract a national medical school has been thwarted by a mere 1.3-point difference,' adding, 'We express deep regret that the efforts of local residents, which included a signature campaign, presidential pledges, and numerous discussions, have come to naught.'
It further characterized the outcome not merely as a competition between universities but as a matter of the residents' right to life and regional balanced development.
The council highlighted the geographical challenges of the Southwest region, which has many islands and limited access to advanced general hospitals, stating, 'Establishing a medical system that allows emergency and critically ill patients to receive timely treatment is not a matter of local self-interest but a matter of residents' lives and safety.'
Concerns were also raised regarding the unclear functions and authority of the Muan government office following the integration. The council warned that if administrative functions are weakened following the failure to attract the national medical school, the Southwest region could face double or triple marginalization during the integration process.
The council demanded the immediate release of a medical support roadmap for the Southwest region and called for the allocation of biomedical research and medical personnel training functions to Mokpo National University. It also argued that joint education and research functions should be established at Mokpo National University in connection with the process of promoting the national medical school at Suncheon University.
Regarding the Muan government office, the council urged that it be granted core personnel, budget, and decision-making authority appropriate to its name, and that its legal status be clarified promptly.
As part of regional balanced development measures, the council called for the second relocation of public institutions to prioritize the Namak New Town and for the swift confirmation and establishment of a specialized national industrial complex for distributed energy in Muan to attract anchor companies and create actual jobs.
The Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City had previously stated that it would form a dedicated organization to support Mokpo National University and the Southwest region, and would prepare separate support measures to enhance the university's medical infrastructure and competitiveness.
The Muan County Council concluded, 'The integration should not be for the benefit of only a specific region,' urging the integrated special city to respond with concrete policies and actions so that the residents of the Southwest region, who have waited 36 years, are not disappointed again.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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