Assemblyman Kim Won: Four Bills Including the Local Doctor Act Passed

Momentum Builds for Mokpo Medical School
...Expectations Rise for Addressing Healthcare Gaps

Won Kim, Member of the National Assembly.

Four bills, including the "Local Doctor Training Act" (Act on the Training of Local Doctors and Others) sponsored by Won Kim, Member of the National Assembly from Mokpo City of the Democratic Party of Korea, passed the National Assembly plenary session on December 2. This marks the fruition of key legislative initiatives that Assemblyman Kim has continuously pursued during the 21st and 22nd National Assembly terms.

The Local Doctor Training Act, which was passed, establishes a system in which a certain percentage of medical school admissions are selected through a "local doctor recruitment track," requiring graduates to serve for 10 years in medically underserved areas and public medical institutions. The law allows the national and local governments to support local doctors with tuition, housing, and career development, and stipulates that violating the mandatory service requirement may result in revocation of the medical license.

This law is expected to apply to the newly established integrated medical school at Mokpo National University and Suncheon National University, and is anticipated to have a tangible effect in strengthening public healthcare in the southwestern region of Jeollanam-do, where there is a shortage of medical personnel in island and mountainous areas. Assemblyman Kim's vision for establishing a regionally self-sufficient healthcare system is expected to gain further momentum.

In addition to this bill, the plenary session also passed three other bills sponsored by Assemblyman Kim: the Special Act on Supporting the Petrochemical Industry, the Amendment to the Act on the Promotion of Industrial Digital Transformation, and the Amendment to the Small Business Protection Act.

The Special Act on Supporting the Petrochemical Industry provides a legal basis for supporting the transition to high value-added and structural reorganization of the petrochemical industry in areas such as Yeosu and Suncheon in Jeollanam-do. The amendment to the Industrial Digital Transformation Act promotes AI and digital transformation across the manufacturing sector, while the amendment to the Small Business Protection Act mandates the provision of safety equipment (such as safety bells) for single-operator shops.

Assemblyman Kim stated, "The local doctor system, which trains medical professionals within the region to take responsibility for local healthcare, was an essential piece of legislation," and emphasized, "Based on the integration of Mokpo National University and Suncheon National University, I will steadfastly pursue the establishment of a new medical school in the Jeollanam-do region, that is, the founding of Mokpo Medical School."

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