As controversy continues over the selection results for new national medical schools, the Mokpo City Council is joining forces with local councils in southwestern Jeollanam-do to demand a review of the selection process.
The Mokpo City Council announced on the 7th that it will collaborate with councils from Muan, Sinan, Yeongam, Hampyeong, Jindo, Wando, and Haenam on the 9th to urge a reassessment of the selection and recommendation process for national medical school candidates.
This initiative goes beyond a simple objection to the exclusion of Mokpo National University as a candidate; it focuses on verifying whether the evaluation procedures and criteria were applied objectively and fairly.
According to the Mokpo City Council, councils from the southwestern region are also voicing the need for verification of the selection process and are joining the call for a review through statements and other means.
In particular, the Mokpo City Council emphasizes that the evaluation results among candidate universities were separated by only a 1.3-point margin, highlighting the need for more detailed information about the selection process.
They argue that the evaluation criteria, point allocations for each category, detailed scoring results for each university, the composition of the review panel, and the rationale for the final selection must be transparently disclosed to address community concerns.
Locally, there are ongoing demands to verify whether the 36-year-long call for a national medical school and the medical conditions in southwestern Jeollanam-do were adequately reflected in this evaluation. Mokpo National University has also raised objections to the selection results and is taking action.
Lee Hyung-wan, chair of the Mokpo City Council, stated, "This issue is not just about which university was selected; it is a significant matter concerning the lives and health of residents in southwestern Jeollanam-do and the future of the region. If the selection process lacks fairness and objectivity, it must be corrected."
He added, "We will not limit our voice to Mokpo alone but will unite with residents from Muan, Sinan, Yeongam, Hampyeong, Jindo, Wando, and Haenam to speak as one. If there were issues in the selection process, we will work together to ensure that the establishment of a national medical school proceeds through fair and objective procedures."
The Mokpo City Council plans to gradually escalate its response, including joint statements and press conferences with southwestern councils, proposals to the government and National Assembly, and collaboration with civil society.
Meanwhile, as demands for a review of the national medical school candidate selection results expand from universities and local communities to the level of local councils, attention is focused on how the Ministry of Education and other relevant agencies will respond to the raised issues. The Mokpo City Council and the southwestern councils are set to reiterate their calls for transparency and objectivity in the evaluation process on the 9th.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.