Kim Minseok Backs Legislation for Gwangju Military Air Base Relocation, Semiconductor Development; Southwestern Region Medical Care to Expand

Pass the Super-Regional Special Zones Act This Year; Revise Law on Military Air Base Relocation

Back 13.9 Trillion Won in Jeonnam-Gwangju National Funding During National Assembly Review

Plan to Support Expansion of University-Hospital-Level Medical Facilities in the Southwestern Region

The Democratic Party of Korea will accelerate efforts to revise laws to facilitate the relocation of the Gwangju military air base and the development of a semiconductor cluster. It also pledged to support the expansion of university-hospital-level medical facilities for residents in the southwestern region who are protesting the failure to secure a national medical school.

Kim Minseok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said at an on-site Supreme Council meeting held at the Gwangju office of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Council on the morning of November 11, “Relocating the Gwangju military air base, which is directly tied to the development of the semiconductor cluster, is urgent,” adding, “We will accelerate legal revisions so that the relocation of the military air base and development of the site can proceed smoothly.” Referring to the Special Committee on the Super-Regional Special Zones Act, established at the National Assembly on November 5, he also said, “We will gather opinions from all sectors and ensure that the act is passed within this year.”

Kim Minseok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, speaks at an on-site Supreme Council meeting held at the Gwangju office of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Council on the morning of the 11th. Photo by Song Bohyun

He also said he would work to secure the 13.9 trillion won in national government funding for the integration of Jeonnam and Gwangju included in next year’s government budget proposal. “This is a budget that lays the groundwork for administrative integration and supports the development of a semiconductor hub as one of the three major megaprojects,” Kim said. “We will review regional issues again during the National Assembly’s budget deliberations and make sure nothing is overlooked so that no necessary funding is left out.”

Min Hyung-bae, mayor of Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, called for legal and budgetary support needed to advance the semiconductor project. “We have finalized the candidate site for the national semiconductor industrial complex, and companies are making substantial investments one after another,” Min said. “There are many aspects of the Mega Special Zone Act and the Integrated Special Act that need to be supplemented at the same time.” He added that the city would take the lead and fulfill its responsibilities, and asked the party leadership to address matters requiring national-level support.

The meeting also addressed healthcare measures for the southwestern region following Mokpo National University’s failure to be selected to establish a national medical school. Before the meeting, Kim met with residents protesting the failure to secure a medical school, received their letter of protest, and heard their views.

On the morning of the 11th, officials from the Southwest Region Medical School Emergency Response Committee urged Democratic Party leaders and local lawmakers, who had come to the Gwangju office of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Council to attend a field Supreme Council meeting, to address fairness concerns that arose during the medical school selection process. Yonhap News

“I understand the residents’ strong desire for medical facilities in Mokpo and the southwestern region that provide care at the level of a tertiary general hospital,” Kim said. “Discussions are also underway on establishing a national hospital at the university-hospital level, such as a Mokpo branch of Chonnam National University Hospital.” He added that, in consultation with the central government and Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, they would develop institutional and financial support measures to ensure that residents of the southwestern region and island communities are not left without essential public healthcare.

Supreme Council member Seo Mi-hwa said that, alongside expanding medical facilities, the fairness concerns raised over the medical school selection process also needed to be addressed. “Residents of the southwestern region were not asking for the result to be overturned; they requested a new review based on transparency, fairness, and expertise,” Seo said. “How to address public sentiment in southwestern Jeonnam has become a challenge that the government and local authorities must work through together with residents of the region.” She stressed that a public hearing for residents, which the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee had requested from the Ministry of Health and Welfare the previous day, should also be held promptly.

Ahn Do-geol, chair of the Democratic Party of Korea’s Jeonnam-Gwangju chapter, called for support for the semiconductor cluster, the relocation of the military air base, and projects to develop a city centered on artificial intelligence and culture. He also called for the principle of giving priority to the integrated special city to be upheld in the second round of public institution relocations.

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