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South Korea has approved two new medical schools outside the capital region, a move expected to strengthen medical education and address longstanding concerns about unequal access to health care across the country.
The Ministry of Education confirmed Nov. 4 that Gyeongkuk National University, formerly Andong University, will establish a medical school in North Gyeongsang province. On the same day, the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health and Welfare approved a new medical school at Sunchon National University in South Jeolla province, assigning it an annual admissions quota of 60 students.
North Gyeongsang to get its first national medical school in 45 years
Gyeongkuk National University's medical school is expected to admit 40 students and open in 2030. The planned campus will occupy approximately 130,000 square meters in the North Gyeongsang provincial government administrative town, where an affiliated teaching hospital with at least 500 beds is also planned.
Andong City said the decision marks the first establishment of a national medical school in North Gyeongsang in 45 years, following the 1981 administrative separation of Daegu and North Gyeongsang. The approval is therefore significant not only for medical education but also for the province's long-term health care infrastructure.
Sunchon University plan draws regional support
Sunchon National University aims to welcome its first medical students in 2030. Communities including Suncheon and Gwangyang have welcomed the decision, describing the establishment of a medical school as a longstanding regional priority for South Jeolla and the broader Honam region.
Local supporters hope the new institution will help ease shortages of medical personnel and narrow disparities in access to health care between different parts of South Korea.
A local fundraising initiative has also accompanied the project. On Nov. 9, Suncheon Mayor Son Hoon-mo jointly opened the first account for a special savings product launched by Suncheon Nonghyup, a regional agricultural cooperative, to support construction of the medical school. Sunchon University President Lee Byung-woon and cooperative chairman Choi Nam-hyu participated alongside him.
The product is limited to 2,030 accounts. Customers can deposit between 100,000 and 300,000 won per month for 12 months, with annual interest rates ranging from 5.35% to 5.91%.
Medical education extends beyond university campuses
The expansion of medical education is also reflected in efforts to give students practical experience in underserved communities. From Nov. 3 to 5, 10 third-year medical students from Inha University conducted clinical training in social and preventive medicine on Baengnyeong and Socheong islands, part of Incheon.
Working with Baengnyeong Hospital, the students surveyed residents' health conditions and provided guidance on preventing chronic diseases. On Nov. 4, they visited a senior citizens' center on Socheong Island, where they measured residents' blood pressure and blood glucose levels and conducted health questionnaires.
The developments come as the Korean term for medical school, 'ui-gwa-dae-hak,' appeared among Google's fastest-rising search terms in South Korea on Nov. 9, reflecting heightened public attention to the subject.
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