Cheonan and Asan Focus All Efforts on Attracting Public Institutions Including the National Dental Research Institute

Cheonan City Strives to Attract National Institute of Dental Research, Asan City Aims for Second Police Academy
Cheonan and Asan Join Forces to Host Immigration Office

Perspective view of the National Dental Science Research Institute being promoted for attraction by Cheonan City

As Cheonan and Asan in South Chungcheong Province are putting everything on the line to attract public institutions, an interim evaluation on their bids is expected to be released as early as next month.

Cheonan and Asan are actively pursuing the establishment of the National Dental Research Institute and the Second Central Police Academy, while also jointly responding to the potential establishment of an Immigration Office, continuing their aggressive efforts.

Cheonan has been the fastest to respond, having jumped into the race to attract the National Dental Research Institute ahead of other cities. In particular, during the last presidential election, the city succeeded in making it a regional pledge of President Yoon Suk-yeol, putting it ahead of rival cities.

The establishment of the National Dental Research Institute is included in the Ministry of Health and Welfare's "2nd Basic Plan for Oral Health Projects," reflecting the government's strong commitment. In addition, the legal basis for the institute's establishment is solid, as the "Partial Amendment to the Act on the Promotion of Health and Medical Technology" passed the National Assembly last December.

Accordingly, Cheonan is highlighting its geographical advantages as a transportation hub at the center of the country, as well as the concentration of dental medical professionals, in its bid to attract the institute.

According to the 2022 "Cheonan City Feasibility Study Report on Attracting the National Dental Research Institute," 42.7% of the nation's dentists are located in the Cheonan area, and dental care insurance expenditures account for 55.9% of the national total. In addition, the number of medical device companies in the region is the highest in the country at 52.7%, showing that Cheonan has the largest scale in terms of medical personnel, technology, and economic size.

Furthermore, recent investments by dental-related companies, such as Osstem Implant raising its new production facility investment from 140 billion won to 370 billion won, are adding momentum to Cheonan's efforts.

Cheonan has also made practical preparations, such as purchasing a 5,162-square-meter site near Cheonan-Asan Station in the convergence R&D district in February last year, with no setbacks in the process.

However, since the Ministry of Health and Welfare's "Feasibility Study and Basic Plan for the Establishment of the National Dental Research Institute" began last July, there remains a possibility that an open competition process may be initiated depending on circumstances. Based on the interim results of the study between October and November, it is expected that a decision will be made on whether to establish the institute in Cheonan as a presidential pledge or to open the process to nationwide competition.

With Daegu, Gwangju, and Busan also expected to join the competition, Cheonan's strategy is to emphasize both its locational advantages and the fulfillment of the president's regional pledge.

Having succeeded in attracting a branch of the National Police Hospital, Asan is now ambitiously aiming to secure the Second National Police Academy, aspiring to become a truly "police-specialized city."

Asan has officially announced its participation in the site competition for the establishment of the Second Central Police Academy, entering the race to attract the institution.

For this bid, Asan has proposed the Police Town area, which includes the Police Human Resources Development Institute, the Korean National Police University, the Criminal Investigation Training Institute, and the planned Police Hospital, as the candidate site.

The city is highlighting its excellent transportation network, including expressways, high-speed rail (KTX, SRT), metropolitan subway lines, and the planned GTX-C extension, as well as the concentration of police institutions such as the Police University, Police Human Resources Development Institute, Criminal Investigation Training Institute, and the planned Police Hospital within the Police Town.

In addition, a Police Medical City development project covering 582,000 pyeong is being planned in the Police Town area. If the Second Central Police Academy is also established there, it is expected to complete a mini new town centered around police institutions.

Asan is expressing confidence in this bid, citing its previous success in attracting a branch of the National Police Hospital. Above all, the concentration of police institutions in one city is expected to significantly improve the quality of education by attracting high-quality faculty, which the city is actively promoting as a key advantage.

However, with 48 cities across the country expressing their intention to participate, fierce competition is inevitable, and there is cautious analysis that Asan's already substantial concentration of police institutions could become a disadvantage. Meanwhile, the National Police Agency plans to form a site selection committee for the Second Central Police Academy, select three candidate sites, and finalize the location after a second evaluation in October.

At the same time, both cities are also jointly responding to the Ministry of Justice's plan to establish an "Immigration Office." As of November 2022, the number of foreigners in South Chungcheong Province was about 136,000, ranking fourth nationwide and first among non-metropolitan areas. With about 70,000 foreigners residing in Cheonan and Asan, the cities argue there is sufficient justification for attracting the Immigration Office. The proposed site is also optimal in terms of transportation accessibility, being located around KTX Cheonan-Asan Station. From December last year to the end of January this year, the two cities have been collaborating on the bid, including launching a joint petition drive.