Seo Mihwa: "Key Policy Task, Jeonnam Medical School Establishment Must Accelerate"

"Jeonnam National Medical School Special Act" Proposed
Accelerating a 30-Year Dream with the Integrated Medical School Model

Mi-hwa Seo, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

On October 2, Seo Mihwa, a proportional representative from the Democratic Party of Korea, sponsored the "Special Act on the Establishment of the National Jeonnam Integrated University College of Medicine and University Hospital" (hereinafter referred to as the Jeonnam National Medical School Special Act).

Jeonnam is the only region among the 17 metropolitan governments nationwide that does not have a medical school, and this absence has directly impacted the residents. According to Statistics Korea, Jeonnam faces serious difficulties in medical accessibility due to its high aging rate, which far exceeds the national average, and its vast geographical characteristics composed of numerous islands.

As of 2024, the number of doctors per 1,000 residents in Jeonnam is 1.75, significantly lower than the national average of 2.2. The rates at which Jeonnam can meet its own inpatient and outpatient medical needs are 66.1% and 69.2%, respectively, placing the region at the bottom nationwide. This starkly illustrates that residents are unable to receive even basic medical services properly.

Efforts to attract a medical school to Jeonnam have continued since the 1990s. In particular, recent conflicts between the government and medical associations have highlighted the importance of resolving regional medical disparities, and the establishment of a national medical school in Jeonnam has gained further momentum as it was included as a key policy task under the Lee Jaemyung administration.

In November last year, Mokpo National University and Suncheon National University reached a landmark agreement to pursue university integration and the establishment of an integrated college of medicine, presenting a new model. A month later, they submitted an application for university integration to the Ministry of Education, thereby concretizing the roadmap for establishing a new medical school.

The Jeonnam National Medical School Special Act is based on the integration of Mokpo National University and Suncheon National University and includes provisions for the establishment of a college of medicine and university hospital, a medical school quota of around 100 students, full financial support from the central and local governments, and the operation and support of regional public healthcare programs. The most notable aspect is the supplementary provision of the special act, which establishes a legal basis for expediting the evaluation and accreditation process by the Korean Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation, thereby enabling swift administrative support for the establishment of the new medical school.

Seo Mihwa stated, "The establishment of the integrated national medical school in Jeonnam, a long-cherished wish of the region, must be achieved swiftly as it is a key policy task of the Lee Jaemyung administration," adding, "Active support from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education, which are in charge, is essential."

Seo Mihwa also emphasized, "The medical school quota for Jeonnam must be allocated in the 2027 medical school quota currently being discussed by the Medical Workforce Supply and Demand Estimation Committee," and added, "I will pay special attention to this issue during the upcoming National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee audit, which will begin immediately after the holiday."

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