Myeong Hyun-gwan, Haenam County Governor, "Welcome Agreement on University Integration and Integrated Medical School"

“Government Urges Swift Implementation of Medical School Quota Allocation by 2026”

Myung Hyun-gwan, the head of Haenam County, recently expressed his congratulations and welcome regarding the agreement between Mokpo National University and Suncheon National University to integrate their universities for the establishment of a national medical school in Jeonnam. On the 19th, he stated that the will of the residents of Haenam County would be united to support the smooth progress of the medical school establishment.

Mayor Myung said, “In the reality where about 300 emergency patients die each year in Jeonnam due to missed golden time, the establishment of a medical school and a university hospital is the greatest task to protect the residents’ right to life and health and to overcome regional extinction.” He evaluated, “This agreement on the integrated medical school will be an opportunity to fulfill the earnest wishes of the residents that have continued for over 30 years.”

Myeong Hyun-gwan, Gu-su, and staff are taking a commemorative photo to celebrate the university integration agreement for the establishment of a national medical school in the Jeonnam region. Photo by Haenam-gun

He also expressed respect, saying, “I salute Governor Kim Young-rok, who led the final agreement with strong leadership, Song Ha-cheol, president of National Mokpo University, and Lee Byung-woon, president of National Suncheon University, who made a bold decision.” He conveyed his intention that “local governments in the southwestern region of Jeonnam will also spare no administrative and financial support so that the integrated university can grow into a truly representative national university encompassing both the eastern and western parts of Jeonnam.”

He added, “For the valuable achievement created by the efforts of all Jeonnam residents to shine even more, the remaining task now is the prompt implementation of the government’s promise to establish the medical school.” He further stated, “We hope that the government’s swift follow-up measures, such as the allocation of medical school quotas for the 2026 academic year, will be carried out so that the hard-won agreement on integration, achieved through a difficult deliberation process, can be pursued without wavering.”

Meanwhile, Mokpo National University and Suncheon National University signed an agreement on the 15th aiming for the launch of the integrated university and the establishment of the integrated medical school in March 2026.

The establishment of the Jeonnam medical school has been discussed since March, after President Yoon Suk-yeol mentioned at the Jeonnam Livelihood Forum that “the national medical school will be established at whichever university Jeonnam Province decides, gathers opinions, and informs us, and we will proceed accordingly.”