National Trauma Center Construction Project Gains Momentum

Assemblywoman Yang Hyang-ja's Proposed "Act on Establishment and Operation" Bill Passes Full Meeting of the Public Administration and Security Committee

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The project to establish the National State Violence Trauma Healing Center has gained momentum.

Yang Hyang-ja, a member of the National Assembly (Gwangju Seo-gu Eul), announced on the 12th that the bill she proposed, the "Act on the Establishment and Operation of the National State Violence Trauma Healing Center," passed the full meeting of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee on the 8th.

The "National State Violence Trauma Center Establishment Act" is a bill aimed at supporting the healing of trauma for victims of state violence and their families, including the Gwangju Democratization Movement and the Jeju 4.3 Incident.

In the bill, Representative Yang included provisions for ▲ healing the psychological pain of victims of state violence and their families ▲ healing and rehabilitation of trauma and support for social adaptation ▲ research, development, education, and publicity for healing and rehabilitation ▲ support measures from the state and local governments for the center.

Representative Yang said, "This bill was promoted to improve the current reality where there is a lack of specialized national-level healing institutions for overall state violence."

Many people who have suffered from state violence have struggled with trauma but have not received proper healing.

According to a 2011 investigation by the National Human Rights Commission, 76.5% of 223 torture victims suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, and 24.4% reported having attempted suicide. In fact, many people who experienced the Gwangju Democratization Movement also committed suicide.

President Moon Jae-in pledged to establish a National Trauma Center during the last presidential election, but it was difficult to practically promote it due to the lack of legal grounds.

With the passage of this bill, the project to establish the National Trauma Center is expected to gain momentum.

The center is planned to be built on the site of the former Armed Forces Gwangju Hospital in Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, with a total floor area of 2,200㎡ and three stories above ground.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has completed an on-site inspection and plans to start the urban basic management plan revision project within this month, as well as promote an architectural design competition within this month.

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