Mokpo City Expresses Opposition to Mokpo Maritime University Name Change

Petition with Over 13,000 Signatures Delivered... Participation in Opposition Movement

Mokpo Maritime University, based in Mokpo, has announced its intention to change its name to Marine National University, excluding the regional name from the title, which has sparked opposition from the local community. Photo by Seunghyun Jeong

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jeong Seunghyun] Mokpo City in Jeollanam-do has expressed opposition to the name change application of its local university, Mokpo Maritime University.

On the 25th, the city delivered an opinion letter to Mokpo Maritime University, which is pushing for the name change, stating that "Mokpo" must be included in the university name. However, Mokpo Maritime University held a full faculty meeting and decided on "Marine National University" as the new name with 55% approval, and on the 17th, it finally applied to the Ministry of Education for the name change.

The city expressed strong regret over Mokpo Maritime University's decision and visited the Ministry of Education on the 25th to submit an opposition letter along with a petition signed by over 13,000 citizens opposing the name change.

Earlier, in July, when Education Minister Yoo Eun-hye visited Mokpo, the city, together with the Mokpo City Council, also delivered an opposition letter regarding the name change of Mokpo Maritime University.

Going forward, the city plans to continuously appeal to the Ministry of Education against the name change and participate in the opposition movement along with the Mokpo Maritime University Alumni Association and others.

The approval process for the name change by the Ministry of Education will take about 3 to 5 months, during which opinions from local governments, universities, related organizations nationwide, and amendments to relevant laws will be collected.

A city official stated, "Mokpo Maritime University, which has grown together with Mokpo, erasing the regional name is tantamount to abandoning the school's reputation built over 70 years. Before simply removing the regional name, it is only natural to first seek ways to enhance the university's competitiveness and elevate it to a top-tier university."

Mokpo Maritime University started in 1952 as the provincial Mokpo Merchant Marine High School and has maintained its reputation as a specialized university for maritime professionals with 70 years of tradition and history. It has ranked first nationwide among national and public universities in employment rates and has produced over 20,000 maritime and ocean-related professionals.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.