Discussion on Support Measures for Education and Research at National University Hospitals Ahead of Ministry Transfer

by Jo Inkyung

Published 11 Nov.2025 10:10(KST)

Ministry of Health and Welfare and Ministry of Education Hold 3rd and 4th Meetings of the "Regional, Essential, and Public Healthcare Strengthening Council"

The Ministry of Health and Welfare is accelerating efforts to develop a comprehensive support plan for national university hospitals that oppose the transfer of their supervisory ministry.

On the 10th, Lee Hyunghun, the Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, is presiding over the 3rd and 4th meetings of the 'Regional, Essential, and Public Healthcare Strengthening Council.' Ministry of Health and Welfare

On the 11th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that it had held the 3rd and 4th meetings of the 'Regional, Essential, and Public Healthcare Strengthening Council' the previous day at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul.

The meeting was attended by Lee Hyunghun, the Second Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, Jeong Tongryeong, Director of Public Health Policy, Kim Hongsun, Director of Medical Education Support at the Ministry of Education, Yoon Hyejun, Head of the Medical Education Infrastructure Division, as well as the presidents of Chungnam National University Hospital, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Jeonbuk National University Hospital, and Kangwon National University Hospital. They discussed ways to strengthen the role of national university hospitals amid the crisis in regional, essential, and public healthcare, as well as detailed support measures such as strengthening education and research after the transfer of jurisdiction to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and regulatory improvements.

In the previous meeting, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education presented a comprehensive plan to foster the clinical, educational, and research functions of national university hospitals to strengthen regional, essential, and public healthcare. In this meeting, they proposed detailed implementation measures for the comprehensive plan. The Ministry of Health and Welfare explained that in-depth discussions were held on ways to strengthen education and research after the transfer, in order to minimize concerns from the field about possible setbacks in education and research following the transfer of jurisdiction.

Separately from the council, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education are also visiting individual national university hospitals to communicate directly with faculty and other members, explaining the support roadmap after the transfer of jurisdiction to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and actively addressing concerns at the field level, such as changes in employment status, that are not based on fact.

Second Vice Minister Lee stated, "This is the golden time to address the crisis in regional, essential, and public healthcare," emphasizing, "We must promptly implement concrete solutions to strengthen regional, essential, and public healthcare through close communication with national university hospitals."

On the previous day, nine out of the ten national university hospitals nationwide, excluding Seoul National University Hospital, issued a statement opposing the transfer of their supervisory ministry from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. According to the National University Hospital Association, in a survey conducted from the 4th to the 6th, 79.9% of the 1,063 professors at the nine regional national university hospitals opposed the transfer of jurisdiction.