Mokpo National University President Song Ha-cheol has resigned in response to the selection results for the new National Medical University in Jeonnam, prompting all university officials to announce their resignations and raise concerns about the evaluation process.
On September 1, university officials held a press conference stating, "The selection of candidate universities for the establishment of a national medical school, a long-standing local aspiration for 36 years, must be verified to ensure it underwent sufficient review and professional assessment." They demanded scrutiny of the evaluation process and criteria.
They particularly highlighted that the final evaluation score difference between Mokpo University and Suncheon University was only 1.3 points, questioning whether the submitted plans for establishing the medical school and accreditation requirements were adequately reviewed.
The officials stated, "Mokpo National University prepared a plan in accordance with the schedule and accreditation conditions for establishing a medical school, based on consultations with medical professionals and infrastructure institutions. Nevertheless, the final result was a 1.3-point loss."
They also raised concerns about the composition of the evaluation committee and the evaluation time.
According to their findings, the selection of committee members occurred just before the evaluation, and the assessment was conducted after reviewing the plans from both universities, followed by presentations and Q&A sessions. They argued, "It raises doubts whether sufficient review was conducted to determine the establishment of a medical school, a 36-year local aspiration."
However, claims regarding the committee selection process and specific evaluation times require confirmation through explanations and related materials from the evaluation organization.
The university officials identified securing a site for the medical school as a key issue among the evaluation criteria.
They argued that while Mokpo University secured state-owned land for the medical school, Suncheon University proposed using land owned by Suncheon City, and they called for transparency on how the site acquisition levels of both universities were reflected in the evaluation.
They stated, "If the certainty of the site was evaluated, it is essential to closely examine whether the establishment of the medical school and future infrastructure development are genuinely feasible, and the evaluation criteria and scoring basis for the site acquisition plans presented by each university must be clearly disclosed."
The evaluation of securing faculty for the medical school was also raised as a contentious issue.
Mokpo University explained that it included a phased plan to acquire a general hospital for use as a temporary teaching hospital and to build a new teaching hospital in the future, along with plans to collaborate with large hospitals and medical universities in the Gwangju area and the Seoul metropolitan area to secure faculty members.
They emphasized that they submitted analysis data on qualified faculty members among specialists working at the target hospital and questioned whether the feasibility of their faculty acquisition plan was adequately reflected in the evaluation process.
The officials stated, "To accept the results, it is necessary to premise that a thorough evaluation with fairness and professionalism was conducted, and the university administration should not simply demand that the local community, which has waited 36 years, accept the results."
Regarding President Song Ha-cheol's resignation, they explained that he had prepared the plan based on various consulting results and accreditation-related materials during the preparation process for the medical school establishment.
They emphasized, "While we may concede other university projects, we must clarify the evaluation process and criteria regarding the national medical school issue, which is directly related to the right to life of the local community."
They added, "In the future, the members and alumni of Mokpo University, along with the local community, will respond to the national medical school issue together, and the university will fulfill its responsibilities and roles to the community."
Following President Song's resignation, the collective resignations of key officials are expected to escalate the controversy surrounding the selection results for candidate universities for the establishment of the national medical school, focusing on evaluation criteria, detailed scoring, committee composition, and the transparency of the evaluation process.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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