Forum Held at the National Assembly on the 9th
"Fostering the Advanced Medical Industry"
Jin Jinsook, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker.
Jin Jinsook, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea representing Buk-gu Eul in Gwangju, announced on July 9 that she hosted the "Southwestern Region Advanced Biohealth Complex Cluster Development Strategy Forum" in the 2nd Small Conference Room of the National Assembly Members' Office Building. The forum was co-hosted by lawmakers Ahn Dogeol, Shin Junghoon, and Seo Mihwa, and jointly organized by the Gwangju Metropolitan City and South Jeolla Province.
The forum focused on the need to establish a "Southwestern Region Advanced Biohealth Complex Cluster" in the Gwangju and South Jeolla areas as a way to foster the digital and bio-medical industries as national strategic industries, in response to the rapidly changing healthcare environment, super-aging society, and low-growth phase. The necessity of amending the "Special Act on the Designation and Promotion of Advanced Medical Complex Clusters" to provide a legal basis for designating biohealth clusters was also raised.
At the forum, Sun Kyung, head of the K-Health Future Initiative, delivered a keynote presentation on the "Necessity and Strategy for the Southwestern Biohealth Complex Cluster," while Kang Daehee, president of the Korea Future Medical Innovation Association, served as the moderator for the discussion.
The panel discussion featured Choi Jongil, professor at Chosun University; Jeong Shin, director of Chonnam National University Hospital; Lee Jaejoong, CEO of Baccellbio; Kim Hansook, director of the Health Industry Policy Division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare; and Choi Yunhee, senior researcher at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade. They presented policy and industrial strategies for advancing the initiative.
Lawmaker Jin emphasized, "We must designate an additional complex cluster in Gwangju and South Jeolla, where digital and bio infrastructure is concentrated, to intensively nurture digital and bio-medical technologies." She added, "It is time to realize the concrete policy tasks of the people's government, such as the 'promotion of the digital health industry' and the 'Southwestern Megacity' initiative, which were pledged by President Lee Jaemyung during the 21st presidential election."
She continued, "We will actively review the proposals made at today's forum and make every effort at the National Assembly level to ensure that they lead to amendments of relevant laws and the securing of necessary budgets."
Meanwhile, Gwangju is growing as a hub of the AI-based medical device industry, leveraging its infrastructure such as the National AI Data Center, Gwangju Technopark, Korea Institute of Micro Medical Devices, and GIST Institute of Life Science and Technology Convergence. South Jeolla is serving as a key base for national health security in the fields of vaccines and immunotherapy, centered around the Hwasun Vaccine Industry Special Zone.
According to the "Advanced Medical Complex Cluster Development Plan Study (2024)" conducted by Gwangju and South Jeolla, attracting a complex cluster to the Gwangju and South Jeolla region is expected to generate approximately 2 trillion won in production inducement effects, 1 trillion won in added value, and create about 11,500 jobs.
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