National Assembly Passes National Medical Graduate School Act; Regional Hopes Soar

The 'National Graduate School of Medicine Establishment and Operation Act (National Medical Graduate School Act)' passed the National Assembly's plenary session on the 23rd. In a vote held that day, the National Assembly definitively passed the bill with 158 votes in favor, 4 against, and 4 abstentions out of 166 lawmakers present.

The act establishes a four-year graduate-level institution, where students will receive state support for all academic costs, including tuition and dormitory fees. Following graduation, they are required to fulfill a 15-year mandatory service period in public health medical institutions designated by the Minister of Health and Welfare. The National Medical Graduate School plans to enroll 100 new students annually with the goal of opening in 2030. A key provision allows the Minister of Health and Welfare to directly assign the specialty for doctors undertaking mandatory service, enabling the strategic placement of personnel in essential fields such as pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and emergency medicine, which are critically undersupplied in the region.

The Jeonbuk Provincial Government plans to accelerate the establishment of the National Medical Graduate School starting this second half of the year. It has already secured 55.1% of the project site and will proceed with administrative procedures, including the purchase of remaining land, design, and obtaining permits.