Gyeongsangbuk-do medical school establishment proposal

Gyeongsangbuk-do is moving to establish a new national medical school to address the province’s lack of a tertiary general hospital. In collaboration with National Gyeongguk University, the province plans to submit a formal proposal to the Ministry of Education by August 20, 2026.

The proposal includes plans for an initial capacity of approximately 100 students, the recruitment of 110 faculty members, and the construction of a 500-bed affiliated hospital. The estimated cost for the project is 430.5 billion KRW, with the goal of opening the school by 2030. A final decision on the establishment is expected as early as late August or September 2026.

On August 16, 2026, National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee Chairman Lee Man-hee and Representative Lee Dal-hee visited National Gyeongguk University in Andong to inspect progress. The province intends to locate the school and hospital in the Andong-Yecheon provincial government new city area. To ensure long-term stability, the plan includes a regional physician system requiring 10 years of mandatory service and recruiting all students from the local area.

On August 26, 2026, Gyeongsangbuk-do administration vice governor Hwang Myeong-seok met with Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok in Andong to request political support for the medical school project, alongside other regional development initiatives such as K-food industry promotion and the administrative integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk.

The initiative seeks to mitigate a severe medical disparity; Gyeongsangbuk-do currently has only 0.36 essential medical specialists per 1,000 people, which is approximately 12% of Seoul’s rate. Critical shortages were noted in pediatrics, emergency medicine, neurology, and neurosurgery. Due to the lack of a tertiary general hospital, the province’s patient transfer rate to the Seoul metropolitan area is 15 times the national average.