North Gyeongsang Province submits plan to establish national medical school at Gyeonguk University

North Gyeongsang Province has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Education to establish a national medical school at Gyeonguk National University, targeting a 2030 opening with an enrollment capacity of 100 students.

According to the provincial government, the plan — submitted to the ministry on Thursday — outlines the rationale for creating a national medical school, a strategy to secure 112 basic science and clinical faculty members, plans for acquiring and developing sites for the medical school and affiliated hospital, and a detailed operational roadmap timed to the school's opening.

The province envisions building the medical school, with 100 enrollment slots, and a 500-bed affiliated hospital on the provincial government's new town site in Andong and Yecheon.

The total project cost is estimated at 489.5 billion won ($349 million) — 160.3 billion won for the medical school and 329.2 billion won for the affiliated hospital.

The province plans to operate the school under a regional physician program, under which graduates would be required to practice locally, ensuring a stable supply of medical personnel for the region.

North Gyeongsang Province has long pursued the establishment of a national medical school as a top priority, citing what it describes as the worst healthcare environment in the country.

Despite being the largest provincial jurisdiction by area in South Korea, North Gyeongsang has only 1.4 doctors per 1,000 residents — well below the national average of 2.3 and the lowest in the country.

None of the country's 47 tertiary general hospitals is located in the province. As a result, the rate of patient transfers to the Greater Seoul area is 15 times the national average.

The number of specialists in essential medical fields is also the lowest nationwide, falling far short of what the region needs.

The province also has 15 emergency medical underserved areas, the second highest in the country, pointing to a severe lack of access to essential care.

Dongguk University Gyeongju Hospital operates within the province, but only 3.1 percent of its medical school graduates remain in the region.

As part of its national policy agenda to establish medical schools in regions that currently lack them, the central government has designated North Gyeongsang Province and South Jeolla Province-Gwangju as the two candidate sites for 100 medical school enrollment slots targeted for regional universities by 2030.

The Ministry of Education asked the relevant local governments and their affiliated national universities on Aug. 7 to submit their medical school establishment plans by Thursday.

A final decision on whether to approve the medical school is expected as early as this month or next month.

"We will make sure the establishment of a medical school at Gyeonguk National University succeeds, and lead the way in building a South Korea without healthcare disparities — a country where people can live with peace of mind even outside the capital," North Gyeongsang Governor Lee Cheol-woo said.