"Government Must Keep Its Promise"... Jeonbuk Business Community Urges Namwon as Site for National Medical Graduate School

Follow-up Measures After Seonam University Closure...
"Directly Tied to Government Trust"

The Jeonbuk business community has formally submitted a proposal to the government and the National Assembly, insisting that the National Medical Graduate School (National Medical School) must be established in Namwon as originally planned. They made it clear that, amid rising speculation about potential locations in the Seoul metropolitan area and elsewhere, the government's follow-up measures in response to the closure of Seonam University Medical School and its promises to the local community must not be compromised.

The Namwon City Council of Jeonbuk adopted the "Resolution Urging the Relocation of the National Medical Center to Namwon for Essential Medical Care and Regional Balanced Development" during the second plenary session of the 282nd extraordinary meeting held on the 28th. They urged the government and the National Assembly to establish a national public healthcare system linking the relocation of the National Medical Center to Namwon and the establishment of the National Medical Graduate School in Namwon. Provided by Namwon City Council

On the 29th, the Jeonbuk Chamber of Commerce Council announced that it had delivered an official proposal to the Office of the President, the National Assembly, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and other relevant authorities, urging the establishment of the National Medical Graduate School in Namwon.

The council emphasized that the National Medical Graduate School is not simply a matter of determining the site of an educational institution, but rather a national initiative aimed at training public healthcare professionals, deploying them to medically underserved areas, and reducing regional disparities in medical services. They pointed out that if the location is changed based solely on the convenience of the Seoul metropolitan area or administrative efficiency, it could undermine the policy goals of strengthening public healthcare and fostering local talent.

Namwon was previously the site of Seonam University Medical School, and both the local healthcare infrastructure and the regional economy suffered significantly after the school was closed. However, Namwon city and the local community have continued to prepare for the introduction of the National Medical Graduate School, including securing a site, providing administrative support, and establishing cooperative frameworks.

The council argued that establishing the National Medical Graduate School in a different region would, in effect, amount to reversing the government's promised follow-up measures made at the time of Seonam Medical School's closure. They asserted that maintaining the original plan is essential to upholding the consistency of national policy and sustaining trust in the government.

They also explained that Namwon, due to its geography, is not only accessible to eastern Jeonbuk but also to western areas of Gyeongnam and Gyeongbuk. Therefore, if the National Medical Graduate School is established in Namwon, the city could serve as a major public healthcare hub, responsible for regional workforce training and responding to essential and emergency medical needs.

In its proposal, the council highlighted: ▲ The National Medical Graduate School is a national initiative designed to foster public healthcare talent and support medically underserved regions; ▲ The government must follow through on its promised follow-up measures after the closure of Seonam Medical School; and ▲ The prompt establishment of the school in Namwon is necessary to restore the consistency of national policy and the trust of the local community.

Kim Jungtae, Chairman of the Jeonbuk Chamber of Commerce Council, said, "The National Medical Graduate School is not a project about which location is more convenient, but a national initiative to build a public healthcare foundation where medical professionals are most needed. The government must honor its commitment and maintain policy consistency by swiftly establishing the National Medical Graduate School in Namwon as originally planned."

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