Jeonnam Provincial Council Announces Rally in Seoul Urging Establishment of Medical School

Jeonnam Provincial Assembly members have announced plans to hold a rally in Seoul demanding the establishment of a national medical school in the province, in opposition to the government's policy to increase the quota of medical school admissions.

According to the Jeonnam Provincial Assembly on the 16th, about 500 people including Democratic Party Jeonnam Assembly members, local lawmakers, and the Medical School Attraction Countermeasures Committee will hold a press conference and rally on the 18th in front of the National Assembly and the Yongsan War Memorial to advocate for attracting a medical school to Jeonnam Province.

Jeonnam Provincial Assembly members have announced a rally in Seoul demanding the establishment of a national medical school in Jeonnam Province. Photo by Jeonnam Provincial Assembly

The assembly members made this decision in response to the recent government direction to increase the admission quota by more than 1,000 students instead of establishing new medical schools, which threatens to nullify Jeonnam's efforts to attract a medical school.

They plan to strongly convey their determination to establish a medical school in Jeonnam before the Ministry of Health and Welfare announces the scale and timing of the medical school quota expansion.

They will also read a statement urging the establishment of a medical school and deliver supportive remarks, arguing that a national medical school must be established in Jeonnam, the only province nationwide excluding Sejong City without a medical school.

Choi Seon-guk, co-chairman of the Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Medical School Attraction Countermeasures Committee, said, "Recent trends in the media suggest a policy shift by the government toward increasing the quota of existing medical schools rather than establishing new ones," and added, "If establishing a new medical school is difficult immediately, securing the quota for medical schools first is a realistic approach."

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