Key officials refute South Jeolla's claim of Mokpo-Sunchon university merger agreement

Despite the South Jeolla government's announcement that Mokpo National University and Sunchon National University agreed on a merger in "broad terms," key officials say such an agreement was never made.

South Jeolla Governor Kim Yung-rok explains the province's plans to establish a medical school in a conference on Oct. 10. The province announced that Mokpo National University and Sunchon National University will merge and create one medical school together, although the announcement was refuted by key officials. [NEWS1]

Despite the South Jeolla government's announcement that Mokpo National University and Sunchon National University have agreed on a merger in "broad terms," key officials say such an agreement was never made.

Mokpo National University President Song Ha-cheol told Yonhap on Monday that "a merger between Mokpo National University and Sunchon National University was never agreed upon during the luncheon with Education Minister Lee Ju-ho, South Jeolla Gov. Kim Yung-rok, Rep. Kim Moon-soo and Sunchon National University President Lee Byung-woon."

"There are many obstacles to a university merger, and agreeing on a merger at a luncheon with just university presidents is not only unlikely but also something that requires extensive discussion."

Another luncheon attendee also expressed confusion regarding the merger announcement.

"Being there, the only people who spoke about the merger were [South Jeolla] Gov. Kim Yung-rok and Rep. Kim Moon-soo, with Education Minister Lee Ju-ho and Sunchon National University President Lee Byung-woon not mentioning anything," wrote Roh Kwan-kyu, mayor of Sunchon, on Facebook. "Is an issue this important something that can be easily decided over a meal?"

The clarification follows an announcement from South Jeolla, stating that both university presidents reached a broad agreement to resolve the medical school issue through a university merger. The announcement further added that the universities are planning to discuss specific details of the merger and create a national medical school within the merged university.

There is currently no university in South Jeolla that has a medical school, with the provincial government planning to decide whether the province's Mokpo National University and Sunchon National University can merge and create one medical school together.

Chonnam National University — with two campuses in South Jeolla — does have a medical school, although the university hospital and medical school students are based in Gwangju.

If the merger agreement cannot be made by mid-October, the province will get action plans from both universities and choose one school to recommend for establishing a medical school to the government in November.

The Mokpo City Council also released a statement on Tuesday, urging the South Jeolla governor to be more transparent.

"The press release from South Jeolla made it difficult for us to trust the transparency and objectivity of the medical school establishment process," read the statement. "We are curious why Gov. Kim [Yung-rok] decided to form such public opinion despite there not being any merger discussions between the universities."

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]