Kaeho Lee Takes Active Role in Addressing Healthcare and Welfare Disparities in South Jeolla During National Assembly Audit

Proposing Solutions Based on Leadership as a Veteran Lawmaker
Calling for a "Fast-Track" to Establish a National Medical School in South Jeolla
Strengthening Regional Medical Infrastructure and Securing K-Medical Tourism Competitiveness
"I Will Resolve the Region's Long-Standing Issues One by One"

Kaeho Lee, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Kaeho Lee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea representing Damyang, Hampyeong, Yeonggwang, and Jangseong in South Jeolla Province, has raised a series of key issues aimed at addressing the severe healthcare and welfare disparities in the South Jeolla region during this year's National Assembly audit, urging the government to respond responsibly.

As the only member of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee from South Jeolla, Lee has leveraged his policy expertise-having previously served as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and as Policy Committee Chair of the Democratic Party of Korea-and his leadership as a multi-term lawmaker to propose practical solutions.

Lee highlighted the fact that South Jeolla is the only one among the 17 metropolitan and provincial regions in Korea without a medical school, emphasizing that the shortage of medical personnel has led to a serious paralysis of the local healthcare system. He specifically pointed out that the rate of critically ill emergency patients being transferred out of the region is 51.2%, which is 2.5 times the national average, and that only 55% of residents can access an emergency medical center within 60 minutes. To address these issues, he argued for the introduction of a "fast-track" process, simultaneously advancing the preliminary feasibility study, site selection, and budget allocation, in order to move up the government's proposed 2030 timeline for opening a medical school.

Regarding the enhancement of the region's medical infrastructure, Lee called for the early completion of the National Cardiovascular Center. He urged that the scheduled completion date of 2029 be brought forward by considering the remaining budget and construction timeline, and stressed the need to expedite the establishment of critical disease treatment infrastructure. He also demanded the transfer of management authority for Sorokdo Island-where the entire island is designated as the management area of the National Sorokdo Hospital and public facility management is difficult-to Goheung County, and called for the related study to be completed within this year.

Lee criticized the sluggish progress in strengthening the functions of regional responsible medical institutions in financially disadvantaged areas, proposing that the central government's funding ratio be increased to alleviate the financial burden on local governments. In addition, to address the concentration of patients at large hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area, he suggested the need to establish a regional model for distributing critical care by introducing rotational duty for medical staff at advanced hospitals and expanding the network of cooperating hospitals.

Lee dismissed recent claims from some political circles regarding a "deficit in the foreigner health insurance fund" as "clearly fake news." He countered, "The foreigner health insurance fund is overall in surplus, and in particular, Chinese subscribers recorded a 5.5 billion won surplus last year." He stressed that "false claims that incite national division must stop." He also requested that the Ministry of Health and Welfare extend the VAT refund system to enhance the competitiveness of K-medical tourism, emphasizing that this system is a key mechanism for maintaining market transparency and trust in K-medical tourism.

Through the National Assembly audit, Lee presented specific healthcare and welfare issues facing Gwangju and South Jeolla, urging the government to adopt a responsible attitude and provide substantial support.

Meanwhile, on October 22, Lee stated his commitment to "resolving the region's long-standing issues one by one with the goal of restoring people's livelihoods and normalizing the national system," outlining his approach to the audit and his future legislative activities.