Kim Tae-heum, Governor of Chungnam, Says "Discussions on Cheonan and Asan City Integration Must Ignite"

Visit to Cheonan "City boundaries collapse into a single living zone"
Chungnam International Exhibition & Convention Center, promise to establish National Institute of Dental Science
"Four medical centers face a deficit of 28.1 billion KRW... Specialized policies needed for each medical center"

Kim Tae-heum, Governor of Chungnam Province, once again mentioned the integration discussions between Cheonan and Asan.

On the 27th, during his visit to Cheonan City for the third year of the 8th term of the elected government’s city and county visits, Governor Kim expressed various views on regional issues such as the integration of Cheonan and Asan, the construction of the Chungnam International Exhibition and Convention Center, attracting the National Institute of Dental Science, and the normalization of Cheonan Medical Center.

Governor Kim stated, “Cheonan and Asan have already become a single living area with the boundaries between the cities breaking down, so long-term discussions on the integration of the two cities need to ignite. In particular, while it is good that Cheonan City FC and Chungnam Asan FC compete with a rivalry spirit, if they become one team representing Chungnam, it would have a great effect on financial conditions and uniting the residents as one.”

Regarding regional projects that have not been progressing quickly, he expressed a firm intention to strongly drive their advancement.

About the construction of the Chungnam International Exhibition and Convention Center, which has been delayed by about six years compared to the original plan, he said, “I understand that the technical proposals from participating companies are currently being prepared,” and added, “We will strive to complete it by 2027 as announced last year.”

He continued, “The attraction of the National Institute of Dental Science to Cheonan is also a presidential pledge, so there will be no public contest,” and said, “Since the enabling legislation related to the establishment of the institute has been passed, we expect some outline to emerge in the second half of this year.”

He also promised financial investment for the normalization of regional medical services.

He said, “Recently, the last specialist at Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital’s Pediatric Emergency Medical Center, the first of its kind nationwide, left. Ultimately, the issue is how to recruit doctors, and if it is a financial problem, the province will step in to support by engaging in talks with the hospital.”

Additionally, he stated, “Since COVID-19, the deficits of the four medical centers in Chungnam, including Cheonan, have reached 28.1 billion won, requiring fundamental reform. In the case of Cheonan Medical Center, there are two general hospitals in the area, and due to poor accessibility to the medical center, the deficit has inevitably worsened due to structural problems.”

He emphasized, “Ultimately, to solve the structural problems, specialized policies should be implemented for each medical center: pediatrics in Cheonan, obstetrics and gynecology in Hongseong, geriatric diseases in Gongju, and cardiovascular diseases in Seosan.”