According to Mudeung Ilbo, Mokpo-area regional council members are preparing to negotiate post-selection incentive packages with the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City administration. The push follows a regional win-win cooperation meeting held on the 29th, where officials agreed to provide substantial incentives to unselected universities and regions.
To offset the absence of a university hospital and combat critical emergency medical gaps in the western region, local lawmakers are pressing for a National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) designated hospital. This arrangement connects health insurance subscribers directly with designated medical facilities to manage patient care. During the recent cooperation meeting, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Mayor Min Hyung-bae responded favorably to the proposal, describing it as a “good idea” according to Mudeung Ilbo coverage.
Infrastructure and Transportation Demands for Western Jeonnam
Beyond medical facilities, lawmakers are calling for compensatory measures that match the financial scale of investments slated for the eastern region. Because the Mokpo region contains numerous island communities, council members argue that transportation infrastructure projects require urgent prioritization to bridge geographical divides.
Council member Choi Sun-guk (Democratic Party, Mokpo 1) pointed out that poor geographic accessibility directly exacerbates healthcare isolation in western Jeonnam. Choi noted that expanding connective road bridges, known as yeondogyo, serves as a vital tool to improve overall medical accessibility, while urging authorities to prioritize the western region when relocating public institutions such as fisheries cooperatives.
In response to these regional imbalances, the Gwangju Metropolitan Council announced plans to establish a tentative Dong-Seo Medical Balanced Development Special Committee. According to the council’s official statement reported by Mudeung Ilbo, the committee aims to eliminate medical disparities between the eastern and western districts by advancing the new national medical school project while simultaneously expanding university hospitals, essential emergency infrastructure, and support for medically underserved areas.
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