Seonam University

The Education Ministry decided to shut down Seonam University. After long and agonizing reviews, the ministry decided to close the university, reeling from the school foundation’s corruptions and poor education quality. There have been eight universities that were ordered by the government to shut. However, Seonam University’s College of Medicine was the first among medical schools.

On Aug 2., the education ministry decided not to accept the normalization plans for Seonam University, submitted by the University of Seoul and Samyuk University. The two were the only institutions interested in taking over the medical school, which might allow executives involved in corruptions to make a comeback and participate in the school’s management, the ministry said.

The education ministry took steps by steps to close the school. On Aug 25, the ministry ordered the school to correct wrongdoings pointed out by the Board of Audit and Inspection by Sept. 19 and notified the school of the closure. After informing the school of the execution order twice, the ministry published an administrative order to shut it down on Nov. 17, and finally ordered to close it on Dec. 13. The ministry said it would suspend the admission for 2018 semesters and shut down the university as of Feb. 28, 2018.

Upon the closing order, students at the university will be admitted to nearby universities in North Jeolla Province and South Chungcheong Province. The students of the university’s college of medicine will be going to a medical school in North Jeolla Province, considering the supply and demand of regions, the ministry said. In the North Jeolla Province, there are two medical schools – Chonbuk National University’s College of Medicine and Wonkwang University’s College of Medicine.

Despite the ministry’s order, the university has not budged yet. Employees at Seonam University and the alumni of the university’s college of medicine have staged a rally in front of Cheong Wa Dae to reconsider the order. Many general hospitals also expressed intentions to acquire Seonam University. Meanwhile, other medical schools have begun a war-of-nerves to attract the quota of 49 students allotted to the university’s college of medicine.

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