As Deadline Nears... Mokpo and Suncheon Universities' Medical School Negotiations Remain Uncertain

No Agreement Even on the 'Medical School in Mokpo, Headquarters in Suncheon' Compromise Plan
Difficult for Each University to Secure Justification or Practical Gains with Separate Strategies

The long-standing goal in South Jeolla Province of merging National Mokpo University and National Suncheon University and establishing a national medical school has ultimately collapsed. Despite last-minute compromise proposals between the two universities, they failed to find common ground, resulting in a significant backlash against efforts to establish a national medical school in South Jeolla Province, the only region in South Korea without one.

According to the education sector on July 27, the final negotiations between Mokpo University and Suncheon University, held that afternoon in Jangheung County, South Jeolla Province, ended without any outcome just one hour and ten minutes after they began.

National Mokpo University (top), National Suncheon University (bottom)

In the final stages of negotiation, Mokpo University took a decisive step by proposing a compromise in which the university headquarters would be transferred to Suncheon while the medical school would be located in Mokpo — the so-called 'Medical School in Mokpo, Headquarters in Suncheon' plan. The intent was to safeguard the greater goal of establishing a national medical school in South Jeolla Province, even if it meant conceding the university’s key asset, its headquarters.

However, Suncheon University refused to withdraw its bid to host the medical school. The university also rejected the mediation proposal from the merger committee, which called for basic medical sciences and faculty to be located in Suncheon and clinical training and hospitals in Mokpo. As a result, the negotiations between the two universities have collapsed completely.

In the end, the move toward integration has been reset to square one, as the sharp division in positions between the eastern region (Suncheon) and western region (Mokpo) regarding the distribution of core assets such as the university headquarters, medical school, and university hospital was merely reaffirmed.

One-Sided Political Slogans and Incoherent Local Government Actions Exacerbate the Conflict

There is growing criticism that the response from local political leaders and governments further fueled the conflict. Political figures in the Suncheon area, who should have acted as mediators, instead sided with public opinion and strongly advocated for the medical school to be located in Suncheon. Regional lawmakers who had initially shown a forward-thinking approach to the compromise later reversed their positions, while the heads of local governments and city councils also heightened tensions by issuing joint statements up until the brink of the breakdown.

Actions of government administrative bodies also created further confusion. On the day of the negotiations, the 'Special City of Jeonnam-Gwangju' preparatory committee announced plans for a 'Super-Regional Integrated Medical Belt,' centering on a Suncheon medical special district and a Mokpo medical town. However, local medical circles criticized this plan as “misplaced and merely a placating gesture,” because both the establishment of a new medical school and the university merger are prerequisites for such projects.

Having lost a unifying justification for integration, both universities now face the situation of having to submit independent proposals to the Ministry of Education. However, there is widespread concern that, without a unified agreement, it will be difficult for either university to secure the policy justification and competitiveness required to outperform other local governments. This stands in contrast to North Gyeongsang Province, which is moving forward with a unified 'National Kyungguk University Medical School' proposal in partnership with Andong City and Yecheon County.

With the deadline for submitting proposals to the Ministry of Education fast approaching at the end of the month, both universities face a serious lack of time to prepare independent strategies.

A source in the local medical community commented, “The initial intention to improve the region’s inadequate medical environment has disappeared, leaving only a territorial dispute between the universities and political circles. Ultimately, the ones who suffer are the residents, who are left without access to essential medical services.”

As the merger discussions between Mokpo and Suncheon Universities, which had gained momentum in November 2024, have collapsed, there are now growing concerns about delays in the timeline for establishing a national medical school in South Jeolla Province and an extended period of inadequate local healthcare provision.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.