Plans to establish a national medical school serving the South Jeolla-Gwangju region — a long-cherished goal for local residents — appeared all but dead before receiving an unexpected lifeline. North Gyeongsang Province's decision to apply for only 50 medical school enrollment slots instead of the originally planned 100 has reopened the door for a South Jeolla medical school.
The Ministry of Education has asked the Gwangju-Jeonnam integrated special city to nominate one of two competing universities — Mokpo National University or Suncheon National University, which have been at odds over where the school should be located — as its candidate institution, marking a new phase in the process. Whichever university is selected, the outcome is expected to deepen divisions, with the losing institution likely to push back sharply and tensions rippling through local communities and political circles.
The Ministry of Education has asked the Gwangju-Jeonnam integrated special city to submit its candidate university recommendation by Sunday.
The integrated city has tasked the Jeonnam Research Institute with carrying out the selection process. The institute plans to form a review panel of five to nine outside experts, collect applications from both universities, and conduct document reviews, presentations and on-site visits before naming a final candidate.
The evaluation criteria will be based on the national medical school establishment plan set out by the Ministry of Education.
The integrated city has also decided to obtain written pledges from both universities committing to accept the outcome of the review.
"We will begin the candidate university selection process in response to the government's request," Mayor Min Hyeong-bae said. "This is a matter of citizens' lives and health, and we will make sure this hard-won opportunity does not go to waste."
sij@heraldcorp.com
