"30 Billion Won Big 4 Hospital? Deceiving the Residents" Mokpo National University President Song Hacheol Directly Criticizes Kang Gijung

Fact-Checking Mayor Kang Gi-jung's Pledge at Press Conference
Special Mayor Election Heats Up...
Medical School Bid Emerges as Major Flashpoint

Recently, Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung's pledge to establish an independent medical school and build a large-scale hospital for a specific university, made ahead of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Mayor election, has faced strong backlash.

Song Hacheol, President of Mokpo National University, personally stepped forward to sharply criticize Mayor Kang's proposal, calling it an "irresponsible pledge lacking feasibility."

Song Hacheol, President of Mokpo National University, is speaking at a press conference regarding the establishment of a medical school in Jeonnam, held at the Jeonnam Provincial Council briefing room on the morning of the 24th. Provided by Mokpo National University

On the morning of March 24, at 10:30 a.m., President Song held a press conference at the briefing room of the Jeonnam Provincial Council, where he officially rebutted the controversies surrounding the establishment of a medical school in Jeonnam that have arisen during the recent election process.

President Song's remarks on this day were effectively targeted directly at Mayor Kang Gi-jung. He openly refuted the mayor’s recent plan to build a university hospital with 1,000 beds in Suncheon, establish a "Big 4"-level medical institution in Mokpo with an investment of 30 billion won, and attract a medical school exclusively to a particular university.

First, President Song made it clear that establishing a medical school is beyond the authority of a local government head. He emphasized, "The establishment of a medical school is not within the power of a special mayor; it is the exclusive authority of the government, determined through procedures stipulated by law."

He continued, "President Lee Jaemyung has also stated that 'the process must always be legitimate and so must the result,'" pointing out that this is not a matter to be arbitrarily decided by a special mayoral candidate.

In particular, regarding the hospital construction pledge raised by Mayor Kang's side, President Song strongly criticized it as "unconvincing." He asserted, "Claiming that a 30 billion won investment in the Mokpo area can create a large hospital on par with Seoul National University Hospital or Samsung Medical Center is, even by common sense, lacking in feasibility and legitimacy."

He further stated, "Establishing a university hospital requires a rigorous process, including thoroughly verifying the region's medical demand and passing a preliminary feasibility study," adding, "Making such claims without following these procedures could give local residents a distorted preconception, which is a serious concern."

President Song Hacheol urged the political circles to refrain from indiscriminate intervention, saying, "Please do not turn the long-standing wishes of the provincial residents into regional conflicts on the election stage, and help facilitate an agreement between the two universities." Provided by Mokpo National University

He also actively addressed the narrative from some quarters that "a medical school with a quota of 50 students is substandard."

President Song stressed that the fundamental premise of the integration between Mokpo National University and Suncheon National University is the establishment of university hospitals in both regions. He explained, "It's not about splitting the new medical school's quota of 100 students into two groups of 50, but rather a model where students are allocated and educated once hospitals in both regions are completed."

He further dismissed claims of substandard medical schools by citing the examples of the medical schools at Sungkyunkwan University and Ulsan University, both of which had a small quota of 40 students as of the 2024 academic year. President Song warned that Mayor Kang's pledge to establish an independent medical school at a specific university could reset the hard-won integration talks between the two universities.

He stated, "The claim for establishing a medical school at a single university directly violates the fundamental agreement of both universities to pursue the establishment of university hospitals in both eastern and western regions," and criticized, "This could delay or derail the 36-year-long aspiration to attract a medical school to Jeonnam by turning it into a regional conflict."

Finally, President Song delivered a pointed appeal to Mayor Kang and the political sphere. He said, "Please fully consider the perspectives of local residents suffering in medically underserved areas, and refrain from making statements that could distort the procedures and schedule for attracting a medical school to Jeonnam," and urged, "Rather than presenting half-baked pledges, the role of the political sphere should be to help both universities reach an agreement."

As the Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Mayor election campaign intensifies, the political moves of Mayor Kang Gi-jung and the conflict between local universities over the region's biggest issue—the attraction of a medical school—are drawing keen attention from local political circles as to how they will impact the election landscape.

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