Residents of the Southwest region of Jeollanam-do, who have waited 36 years for the establishment of a national medical university, faced disappointment as the Muan County Council strongly opposed the government's decision to establish a national medical university at Suncheon National University.
On the morning of November 5, the Muan County Council, led by Chairman Lim Yoon-taek, held a session where they issued a statement condemning the rushed selection of the national medical university and calling for the protection of residents' right to life.
During the session, Lim read the statement, urging the government to suspend the selection decision, conduct an independent re-evaluation, disclose evaluation materials, and develop measures for the medical vulnerability in the Southwest region.
This statement follows the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Welfare's announcement on November 4 that Suncheon National University would be designated as the new national medical university in Jeollanam-do, with an enrollment quota of 60 students.
In the statement, Lim noted, "Since Mokpo National University first proposed the allocation of medical school seats in 1990, residents of the Southwest region have waited 36 years. What we seek is not special treatment, but the same standards and transparent procedures."
He criticized the government for claiming to have conducted a comprehensive evaluation of medical accessibility and vulnerability, yet failing to include medical vulnerability as an independent evaluation criterion in the selection process.
The council previously demanded the disclosure of evaluation criteria and the basis for selection after Mokpo National University was eliminated from consideration by a narrow margin of 1.3 points, but criticized the government for making a final decision without sufficient explanation.
Lim emphasized the need for transparent verification of the selection process, stating, "Saying there are no legal flaws does not equate to fairness."
He also expressed a desire to avoid conflict between the eastern and western regions and respect the wishes of Suncheon citizens for improved medical services, arguing that concerns about regional conflict should not overshadow questions about the fairness of the selection process.
The Muan County Council is demanding the government disclose evaluation criteria, scoring, individual university evaluation results, review records, and legal advisory materials, and is calling for a public explanation and verification process involving Mokpo National University and relevant institutions in the Southwest region.
Additionally, they are urging the government to propose measures that reflect the medical vulnerabilities of island and rural areas, including the placement of medical schools and teaching hospitals, as well as addressing gaps in essential, emergency, and critical medical services.
The Muan County Council had previously called for fairness in the selection process and a re-evaluation in August and September. With the government's final decision resulting in the failure to establish a national medical university in the Southwest region, attention is now focused on how the government will respond to the council's calls for independent re-evaluation and support measures for medically vulnerable areas.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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