Establishment of Gyeongkuk National University College of Medicine raises hopes of narrowing healthcare gaps

【Financial News, Andong—Kim Jang-wook】The establishment of a national medical school, a long-standing goal for North Gyeongsang Province, has been confirmed, raising hopes of narrowing healthcare gaps.
 Local residents expect expanded essential healthcare services to ease the inconvenience of having to travel elsewhere for treatment, as well as to help train healthcare professionals and promote regional development.
According to North Gyeongsang Province, the Ministry of Education gave final approval on the 4th for the establishment of a College of Medicine at Gyeongkuk National University.
With this decision, a medical school will be established in North Gyeongsang Province for the first time in 45 years, following the separation of Daegu and Gyeongbuk, after which the province had no national medical school or tertiary general hospital. In particular, this lays a key foundation for the development of advanced bio and medical industries.
The new medical school and teaching hospital are expected to be built on a 133,362-square-meter site (approximately 39,500 pyeong) in the Gyeongbuk Provincial Government New Town, with a total project cost of about 630 billion won.
The school aims to open in 2030 with an enrollment of around 40 students, and is expected to secure at least 112 full-time faculty members by 2032.
The university hospital is planned to have at least 500 beds. It will serve as a hospital for clinical education and the training of specialized healthcare professionals, and will take responsibility for a regionally self-sufficient healthcare system in the future.
Although the establishment of the medical school has been confirmed, many challenges are expected before it can successfully open in 2030. With follow-up tasks still ahead—including securing funding such as national government funds, obtaining preliminary accreditation, recruiting outstanding faculty and building the teaching hospital—the provincial government plans to further strengthen its joint response system with Gyeongkuk National University and relevant agencies, including Andong City and Yecheon County, and devote all its administrative capacity to the remaining procedures.
The local community will also continue to unite and cooperate in support of the project. The province plans to launch the “Support Council for Establishing Gyeongkuk National University’s Medical School,” bringing together experts from various fields, including the local medical community, academia and industry, and formalize region-wide cooperation and expert consultation for the school’s establishment.
Governor Lee Cheol-woo stressed, “The confirmation that Gyeongkuk National University will host a medical school is a valuable achievement made possible by all the residents of the province working together as one,” and added, “I extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who joined forces, including politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties.”
He also added, “We will press ahead without a hitch with the opening of the medical school in 2030 and the construction of a university hospital with at least 500 beds, protect the lives and health of provincial residents, and make North Gyeongsang Province a new growth hub for Korea’s bio and medical industries.”
Building on facilities established to date in bio-industrial complexes, including the Andong Branch of the International Vaccine Institute, the Vaccine Commercialization Technology Support Center and the Hemp Special Zone, the bio and medical industries in northern North Gyeongsang Province are expected to develop further. By linking these with Pohang’s advanced science and research infrastructure and the East Coast’s nuclear and radiation medical science resources, the province could create a full-cycle bio and medical innovation ecosystem spanning North Gyeongsang Province and connecting research, clinical practice and commercialization.

[email protected] Kim Jang-wook Reporter