Democratic Party Candidate Chwa Changyeol Takes Bold Step with Proposal for Geochang Medical Welfare Town Pre-Feasibility Exemption

Candidate Chwa Changyeol and Assemblyman Taeho Jeong Inspect Medical Welfare Town and Geochang Red Cross Hospital

"Government Review Needed, Including Possibility of Pre-Feasibility Study Exemption"

The Geochang Medical Welfare Town development project, which had been stalled at the preliminary feasibility study (pre-feasibility study) stage, is now facing a new turning point.

As discussions have expanded beyond merely passing the pre-feasibility study to even considering a possible exemption, attention is focusing on whether this will provide a breakthrough for moving the project forward.

[Photo by Chwa Changyeol] Democratic Party candidate for Geochang County Governor, Changyeol Choi, visited the planned site for the Geochang Medical Welfare Town and the Geochang Red Cross Hospital on the 16th with Rep. Taeho Jung, ranking member of the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee and Finance and Economy Planning Committee, holding a meeting with local medical and nursing officials.

On May 16th, Chwa Changyeol, the Democratic Party candidate for Geochang County Governor, visited the planned site of Geochang Medical Welfare Town and Geochang Red Cross Hospital together with Taeho Jeong, the secretary of the Planning and Finance Committee of the National Assembly. They also held a meeting with local medical and nursing professionals.

During the meeting, participants focused on the relocation and new construction of Geochang Red Cross Hospital, as well as measures to strengthen the essential medical system in the northwestern Gyeongnam region.

Medical professionals emphasized, “Relocating Geochang Red Cross Hospital is not just a matter of moving a hospital; it is a key public medical infrastructure directly linked to the lives of residents in Geochang, Hamyang, and Hapcheon. The project must be pursued to fill gaps in emergency, obstetric, and essential medical services.”

In response, Assemblyman Taeho Jeong stated, “It is necessary to review not only the options for passing the pre-feasibility study, but also the possibility of exemption through a Cabinet decision, as part of the national core public healthcare policy. We will consult with the government to explore practical ways to move the project forward.”

[Photo by Changyeol Choi] Democratic Party candidate Changyeol Choi for Geochang County Governor visited the Geochang Medical Welfare Town site together with Taeho Jung, the floor leader of the National Assembly’s Planning and Finance Committee and Economic Planning Committee, and they are looking at the bird's-eye view.

Candidate Chwa Changyeol also remarked, “The relocation and new construction of Geochang Red Cross Hospital is a critical issue directly tied to the lives of county residents. By linking Gyeongnam Province’s public healthcare policies with central government budget support, we will ensure the success of this project.”

Within the local political community, there is now an assessment that, as the Geochang Medical Welfare Town project—long hindered by economic feasibility concerns—has been reframed as a national task to strengthen public healthcare and address regional disparities, discussions on advancing the project have entered a new phase.

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