Pohang City Realizes 'Pohang-Centered' Bio-Patriotism through Establishment of POSTECH Medical School

Forum on Pohang's Future Development through Biohealth Industry Held in Seoul on the 2nd

POSTECH Medical School Established to Foster Biohealth Industry and Regional Medical Innovation

Mayor Lee: "With Prepared Competitiveness, We Will Focus

Pohang City, together with Gyeongbuk Province, held the "Pohang Future Development Forum in the Biohealth Industry" on the 2nd at The Plaza Hotel in Seoul, where experts gathered to discuss differentiated promotion plans for the biohealth sector and the establishment of the "POSTECH Medical School."

Pohang City, together with Gyeongbuk Province, held the "Pohang Future Development Forum in the Biohealth Industry" on the 2nd at The Plaza Hotel in Seoul.

Under the theme "Solving Regional Medical Disparities, Establishing Regional Hub Medical Schools is the Answer!", the forum was attended by about 100 people including Mayor Lee Kang-deok, Governor Lee Cheol-woo of Gyeongbuk Province, National Assemblyman Kim Jung-jae, Chairman Baek In-gyu of the City Council, Vice Chairman Park Yong-seon of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, POSTECH President Kim Sung-geun, Kang Dae-hee, Director of the Regional Medical Innovation Center at Seoul National University College of Medicine, Professor Kim Joo-han of Seoul National University College of Medicine, as well as heads of regional R&BD institutions and related experts. They sought directions and development strategies for revitalizing the biohealth industry and innovating regional healthcare centered on POSTECH Medical School.

First, Professor Kim Joo-han of Seoul National University College of Medicine began the keynote presentation on the "Future Prospects of Biohealth Industry Promotion," explaining that "convergent biotechnology has entered the bioeconomy era that will determine the future medical system." He emphasized the need to build a medical system linked to the biohealth industry and to create an ecosystem based on research, development, and commercialization, highlighting Pohang as the optimal location for this.

Next, Professor Kim Cheol-hong of POSTECH’s Department of IT Convergence Engineering gave a presentation titled "POSTECH’s New Mission, Bio-Boguk (Bio-Serving the Nation)." He stated, "Through the establishment of POSTECH Medical School, Pohang can establish a standard model of medical education based on science and engineering, cultivate physician-scientists who will lead the next-generation biohealth industry, and position itself as a representative biohealth mecca of South Korea." He presented the necessity and a clear future vision for the establishment of POSTECH Medical School.

Following this, Park In-sook, Director of the Korea Regulatory Science Center, proposed under the theme "Activation Plans for Regional-Based Biohealth Industry" that "from a value-chain perspective, comprehensive support from the government and local governments, training of specialized personnel such as physician-scientists, and specialized institutions promoting clinical trials, joint research, and commercialization are needed to build a complete bio-cluster capable of full-cycle support."

In the final topic presentation, Professor Lee Min-gu of Yonsei University College of Medicine emphasized the "Need for Training Physician-Scientists to Foster the Biohealth Industry," stating, "While the nation’s top talents are concentrating in medical schools nationwide, it is absolutely necessary to train 'physician-scientists' who will serve as the central axis for fostering the biohealth industry, including medical science research in clinical, basic science, natural science, and engineering fields."

In the panel discussion chaired by Professor Kang Dae-hee of Seoul National University College of Medicine, panelists including Lee Jin-han, Vice President of the Korean Medical Biojournalists Association, Han Dong-seon, Director of Pohang Semyung Christian Hospital, Park Dae-woong, Head of the Biohealth Innovation Planning Team at the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, Noh Doo-hyun, CEO of Connective, and Son Eun-joo, CEO of BioApp, participated. They engaged in a heated discussion on "Directions and Strategies for Revitalizing the Biohealth Industry," exploring differentiated city-level execution strategies such as POSTECH Medical School and the establishment of the East Sea Bio Cluster.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok said, "We are making every effort to gain a super-gap competitiveness and advantage in the explosively growing biohealth industry," adding, "We will devote all our capabilities to solving the regional medical issues that have emerged as a national problem and to establishing POSTECH Medical School, which will lead the local era centered on Pohang."