[Exclusive] Establishment of National Dental Research Institute in Cheonan Faces Greater Uncertainty Amid Impeachment Crisis

Welfare Ministry Extends Research Deadline to End of July for Objective Selection
Lee Jungmoon: "Will Devise Countermeasures Through Communication with Welfare Ministry"

Perspective view of the National Institute of Dental Science (Provided by Cheonan City)

The project to establish the National Dental Research Institute in Cheonan, a regional pledge by President Yoon Suk-yeol, is facing concerns that competition among local governments to host the institute may intensify amid the uncertainty of the current impeachment situation.

According to Asia Economy's coverage on the 13th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare signed a contract with the Korea Health Industry Development Institute on July 2 last year, investing over 200 million won for research on the feasibility and basic planning for the establishment of the institute.

The initial completion date for the research was set for 300 days after the contract date, which is next month on the 28th, with plans to hold a final reporting session within 15 days of completion.

However, with President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment, the final decision-maker, who plays a crucial role in advancing the project, is now absent. As multiple local governments have joined the competition to host the institute, the Ministry of Health and Welfare extended the research period to the end of July to ensure an objective selection process.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare maintains that the research will proceed without disruption regardless of the political situation, but it is difficult to rule out the possibility of changes to the actual project timeline.

An official from the ministry stated, "Focused research is underway regarding the functions and roles of the institute," and added, "The extension was necessary to carry out additional tasks for an objective site selection."

Lee Jungmoon, a National Assembly member from the Democratic Party of Korea representing the region, said, "The president and the Minister of Health and Welfare need to take an active role, but given the current situation, it seems difficult for government agencies to make a decision." He continued, "We plan to continue communicating with the Ministry of Health and Welfare to devise countermeasures."

He added, "If the president is impeached and an early presidential election is held, we are also considering including the establishment of the institute in Cheonan as an election pledge."

Meanwhile, Cheonan City has already secured a 5,162-square-meter site in the Buldang-dong R&D cluster. The city, together with the province, is pushing to establish the institute as a seven-story building above ground with one basement level, with a total project cost of 49 billion won (41.87 billion won from the national government and 7.13 billion won from the city budget).

Daegu has proposed the Daegu-Gyeongbuk High-tech Medical Complex as a candidate site, while Busan is promoting Gangseo-gu as its candidate. Gwangju is also stepping up efforts to attract the institute, leveraging the Advanced District 3 R&D Special Zone.

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