A path has reopened for establishing a national medical school in Jeonnam.
The Education Ministry has requested Gwangju City to decide between Mokpo University and Suncheon University as the site for the new medical school.
The two universities, which failed to merge, are now in fierce competition, with the decision resting in the hands of Mayor Min Hyung-bae.
According to the Education Ministry and Gwangju City on August 26, the ministry recently asked Gwangju to recommend a candidate university by August 30.
Gwangju City will review applications from both Mokpo University and Suncheon University before selecting one.
The two institutions had discussed establishing a medical school based on a merger, but they could not reach an agreement due to disagreements over the establishment of a university hospital.
The Education Ministry has included the initiative to establish a medical school in regions without one as part of its national agenda. It has designated Gyeongbuk and Jeonnam-Gwangju (formerly Jeonnam) as candidate sites for a total of 100 medical school slots by 2030, and requested both regions to submit plans by August 20.
In Gyeongbuk, a proposal to establish a medical school at National Kyungpook University was submitted, while in Jeonnam-Gwangju, both Mokpo University and Suncheon University submitted letters requesting the establishment of separate medical schools following the collapse of their merger negotiations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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