Shinan County Council Demands Withdrawal of Jeollanam-do Medical School Public Recruitment Process

Governor Kim Young-rok Must Make Wise Policy Decisions

The Shinan County Council of Jeollanam-do (Chairman Kim Hyuk-seong) held a press conference in the main chamber on the 12th and expressed a strong stance regarding the public recruitment plan for the establishment of a national medical school in Jeollanam-do.

Shinan County Council urged the withdrawal of the public contest procedure related to the establishment of the National Medical School in Jeollanam-do at the plenary session.
[Photo by Shinan County Council]

The county council stated, “We had hoped that the government's decision to establish a new medical school in the Jeonnam region as part of medical reform policies would resolve the long-standing desire for the establishment of the National Mokpo University College of Medicine. However, Jeollanam-do’s shift to a public recruitment method has caused great disappointment among the residents of Shinan County and the southwestern region of Jeonnam, which appears to be an attempt to avoid political responsibility.”

They continued, “This decision may deepen conflicts between regions and undermine the principle of public interest, one of the basic principles of the government’s medical school quota increase. The establishment of the National Mokpo University College of Medicine, which has been pursued since 1990, will contribute to improving and developing regional medical conditions.”

In particular, they argued, “The establishment of the National Mokpo University College of Medicine is essential to alleviate the medical burdens of residents in Shinan County and the southwestern region, due to the island geography and aging population.”

Finally, they demanded “the withdrawal of the public recruitment process for the Jeollanam-do medical school and active measures to strengthen the medical infrastructure and eliminate disparities in medical services in the southwestern region of Jeonnam through the establishment of the National Mokpo University College of Medicine,” urging “Governor Kim Young-rok to make a wise policy decision on this issue and to strive for the establishment of the National Mokpo University College of Medicine.”