Park Jie-won and Mayor Min clash over medical school selection

A political dispute has intensified between National Assembly member Park Jie-won and Jeonnam Gwangju Special City Mayor Min Hyeong-bae regarding the selection of Sunchon National University as a candidate for a new national medical school.

Following a 70-minute meeting in Jindo, Park demanded the nullification of Sunchon National University's selection, alleging that the evaluation process was unfair and based on illegal documentation. Park characterized the meeting as a failure, stating that Mayor Min remained adamant in his position.

Mayor Min responded by clarifying his stance, noting that he intends to respect the upcoming court decision regarding the injunction rather than pre-emptively confirming Sunchon National University. He also rejected the claims of an unfair evaluation process. As an alternative for the southwestern region, Min proposed pursuing the establishment of a university hospital or a branch of one of the ‘Big 5’ hospitals from Seoul in Mokpo to strengthen the local medical system.