Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, and Kim Moon-soo, the People Power Party candidate, both presented the promise of 'establishing local medical schools.' In response, mixed reactions have emerged from the relevant region and medical community.
Candidate Lee Jae-myung announced plans to establish four local medical schools. He stated that one public medical school would be built each in Incheon, Jeonnam, and Jeonbuk, and he would consider establishing one general medical school in Gyeongbuk. Candidate Kim Moon-soo pledged to establish one medical school in Jeonnam.
In the regions centered around Jeonnam, support is strong for the promise of establishing medical schools, as it is seen as a solution to the shortage of medical personnel. On the other hand, the medical community has shown a negative stance towards the establishment of medical schools, pointing out that graduates from local medical schools are more likely to seek employment in Seoul and the metropolitan area rather than remaining in their hometowns.
◇Jeonnam region, 'Retaining local medical schools is a long-cherished desire'
The promise for establishing medical schools in the Jeonnam region has been made during every election cycle. This is because Jeonnam is the only metropolitan area in the country without a national medical school. There are eight medical schools in Seoul and five in Gyeonggi and Incheon, with a concentration in the metropolitan area. Additionally, there are four in Gangwon, three in Gyeongbuk, two each in Gwangju, Daegu, Chungbuk, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, and Gyeongnam, one in Ulsan, and one in Jeju.
Expectations for the establishment of a national medical school in the Jeonnam region have increased since the Yoon Suk-yeol administration announced its policy for increasing medical school quotas. Mokpo University and Suncheon University have also pushed forward plans to integrate into a national medical school, tentatively named National Korea Jeil University, with the aim of opening in March of next year. However, discussions on the establishment of medical schools have stalled due to prolonged conflicts between the medical community and the government.
The Jeonnam region believes that it needs to accelerate the push for establishing medical schools through the early presidential election. Jeollanam-do and Mokpo University, along with Suncheon University, recently launched a joint preparatory committee for the establishment of a national integrated medical college in Jeonnam. Lee Byeong-woon, president of Suncheon University, said, "The goal is to attract a national medical school through the integration of Mokpo University and Suncheon University and fundamentally improve the local medical system by training essential medical personnel based on this."
◇Medical community: 'Establishing medical schools is not the solution'
The medical community pointed out that before establishing medical schools, it must be determined whether there are sufficient educational infrastructures to provide quality medical education. A medical school professor stated, "Even now, among the four medical schools in regional areas, a significant number of graduates receive training for their specialties in the metropolitan area." They added, "It is difficult to operate a newly established medical school effectively, and in the end, it will benefit only the metropolitan area."
Concerns have also been raised about the funding issue. A vice president from a university in the Gyeonggi region said, "Not only does establishing a medical school entail significant expense, but it also requires the establishment of hospitals for training and education, as well as securing faculty members, which incurs astronomical costs." They emphasized that "the budget ultimately comes from taxpayers."
According to an analysis from the National Assembly Budget Office, the cost of establishing medical schools and their affiliated hospitals is estimated to range between 76.8 billion won and 366.6 billion won over eight years.
Kim Sung-keun, Spokesperson of the Korean Medical Association, said, "It is questionable whether there is a sufficient population in the area to fill the beds when a new hospital for medical education is additionally built in that region."
Meanwhile, Lee Jun-seok, the Reform Party candidate, announced plans to designate regional cancer centers and reform public hospitals by region. For remote areas, he proposed to enhance remote consultation systems between medical personnel and institutions.