Court dismisses university's request to suspend rival's selection as national medical school candidate

Students from Mokpo National University stage a picket demonstration in front of the Gwangju campus of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City Hall on Oct. 14, calling for the establishment of a national medical school. The university's student council has demanded a review and withdrawal of the evaluation results since Suncheon National University was selected as the national medical school candidate on Sept. 30. <Yonhap>
Students from Mokpo National University stage a picket demonstration in front of the Gwangju campus of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City Hall on Oct. 14, calling for the establishment of a national medical school. The university's student council has demanded a review and withdrawal of the evaluation results since Suncheon National University was selected as the national medical school candidate on Sept. 30.

Mokpo National University said Sunday it would "review follow-up procedures, including an immediate appeal," after a court dismissed its request to suspend the selection of a rival institution as the candidate for a new national medical school.

The administrative first division of the Gwangju District Court, presided over by Chief Judge Kim Jeong-jung, dismissed on Friday Mokpo National University's application to suspend the decision designating Suncheon National University as the recommended candidate for the new national medical school.

In a press release issued that day, the university said it "respects the court's decision and takes the ruling seriously," while announcing it would review further legal steps.

The university argued that the ruling "did not constitute a judgment on the substantive legality of the candidate evaluation process." It added that issues including the land acquisition details in Suncheon National University's development plan, the actual legal rights to use the proposed site, whether the site was specifically identified, and whether pre-established penalty criteria were properly applied "were not included in the scope of the court's review."

The university also stressed that the court found the final authority to designate the medical school and assign enrollment quotas rests with the education minister. It said the minister is not bound by the recommendation of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City and can independently review the development plan, adding that if procedural violations or unfairness in the evaluation are confirmed, the minister can take follow-up measures such as requesting supplementary materials.

Mokpo National University said it plans to formally request that the Ministry of Education independently and objectively verify the fairness of the candidate evaluation and the details of Suncheon National University's site acquisition, and will submit relevant materials and opinions to that end.

The university also said it would review the court's written decision and consider filing an immediate appeal, while coordinating with its faculty council on a joint response in the ongoing main lawsuit.

"The 36-year goal of closing the medical care gap in the southwestern region of South Jeolla Province and building a self-sufficient regional healthcare system cannot be shaken," the university said, pledging to continue its efforts to establish a medical school and university hospital.


sij@heraldcorp.com