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Busan Metropolitan City Selected for the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Pilot Program for the Contract-Based Regional Essential Physician System

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced that it has been selected in the additional call for proposals for the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Pilot Program for the Contract-Based Regional Essential Physician System.

The Contract-Based Regional Essential Physician System is designed to enable specialist physicians to provide long-term essential medical services at regional general hospitals or higher-level medical institutions. Under the program, the central government and local governments jointly provide regional employment allowances and settlement support to participating physicians.

This selection is particularly significant because the program, which had previously been implemented mainly in provincial regions such as Gangwon-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, Jeollanam-do, and Jeju in 2025, has now been expanded to metropolitan cities for the first time. Busan has become one of the first metropolitan cities selected under the initiative.

Through this program, Busan Metropolitan City plans to strengthen the foundation for securing essential healthcare professionals and accelerate the establishment of a self-sufficient regional healthcare system that enables residents to access essential medical services reliably anytime and anywhere.

Reflecting regional healthcare needs, the city will implement the program for 20 specialist physicians across eight essential medical specialties: internal medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, emergency medicine, cardiothoracic surgery, neurology, and neurosurgery.

To encourage early-career specialists to remain in the region over the long term and settle successfully, the city will provide a regional employment allowance of KRW 4 million per month, along with support for settlement conditions, including financial assistance for participation and registration fees for domestic and international academic conferences and professional training programs.

Busan Metropolitan City plans to begin providing support in October 2026. The city will also work closely with the central government to continue implementing the Contract-Based Regional Essential Physician System in 2027 and expand support for the regional essential healthcare workforce.

Cho Gyu-yul, Director General of the Citizens' Health Bureau, said, “Being selected for this public offering represents a meaningful achievement in strengthening the regional essential healthcare workforce and establishing a self-sufficient regional healthcare system. We will actively support essential healthcare professionals so they can settle in Busan with confidence and ensure that all residents can access essential medical services through a strong, self-sufficient regional healthcare system.”