Controversy over Suncheon medical school plan highlights Jeollanam-do regional divides

A Democratic Party candidate in the party’s primary for the post of mayor of a proposed Jeollanam-do–Gwangju special city announced a pledge to establish a Jeonnam medical school in Suncheon, a move that has sparked strong pushback from the western part of the region. The pledge was part of the candidate’s plan titled “Ten Promises for the Eastern Region’s 1 Million-Strong City.”

The candidate, Kang Gi-jeong, said the first promise centers on the location of a regional medical school and its affiliated hospital, framing the decision around regional balance. He argued that “one university and one affiliated hospital should exist together,” and added that when choosing between Suncheon and Mokpo, the size of the project should come first.

Reaction from the western Jeolla region was immediate and heated. For more than 30 years, Western Jeolla has pressed to attract a medical school, and lawmakers and local officials quickly opposed Kang’s proposal as premature. Kim Won-i, head of the Democratic Party’s Jeollanam-do Provincial Committee, posted on social media that Kang’s stance does not settle the debate but instead triggers a new round of controversy, calling for a retraction and apology.

Mokpo University’s alumni association joined the criticism, holding an emergency press conference to condemn the pledge. They framed the issue as a hard-won settlement in which Mokpo University and Suncheon University had sought a cooperative path amid long-running tensions. The association said Kang’s promise was a unilateral decision that risks reopening conflicts over regional priorities.

An official from Mokpo University’s alumni office, An Ha-neul, pressed for a quick withdrawal, stating that Kang’s remarks “insult 36 years of longing and fan the flames of regional conflict.” The response from Mokpo’s political circle intensified as several Democratic Party candidates vying to become Mokpo’s mayor issued condemnations or prepared statements in response to the pledge.

The controversy underscores long-running regional dynamics within Jeollanam-do and neighboring Gwangju, where urban centers contend with unequal access to higher education and healthcare infrastructure. Suncheon and Mokpo are among the region’s key cities, each with its own university ecosystem and hospital networks, and the dispute highlights how education and health policy can become a flashpoint in local politics.

For international readers, the episode matters beyond Korea because it touches core questions about how governments distribute scarce resources for healthcare and higher education, and how regional centers compete for investment that can influence talent pipelines and economic development. In a country with a strong tech and export-driven economy, the outcome could affect regional growth, research capacity, and collaborations in health technology and clinical training that have global implications, including potential partnerships with U.S. institutions and companies.