Gyeongsangbuk-do proposes new national medical school for 2030

Gyeongsangbuk-do has submitted a formal proposal to the Ministry of Education to establish a new national medical school at National Gyeongguk University, aiming for an opening in 2030. The plan includes a medical school with a capacity of 100 students and a 500-bed affiliated hospital to be located in the provincial government new city area of Andong and Yecheon.

The project is estimated to cost approximately 489.5 billion KRW, with 160.3 billion KRW allocated for the medical school and 329.2 billion KRW for the hospital. To ensure a stable supply of essential medical personnel, the province intends to implement a ‘regional physician system,’ which would require students to serve in the region for 10 years.

Gyeongsangbuk-do is pursuing this initiative to address severe healthcare disparities. The province currently has the lowest number of doctors per 1,000 people (1.4) among South Korean provinces and lacks a tertiary general hospital. The Ministry of Education is expected to make a final decision on the location for the new medical school, competing with the Jeonnam and Gwangju regions, as early as this month or next month.