Gov`t picks 2 sites for medical clusters

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SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- The government on Monday chose two provincial cities
for high-tech medical-industrial clusters in an effort to help fuel the growth of
the country's healthcare sector, officials said.
Selected from 10 candidates, the two sites are in Daegu, the nation's
fourth-largest city about 300km south of Seoul, and Osong, a small city about
130km south of the capital, they said.
The government-civilian panel chaired by Prime Minister Han Seung-soo picked them
because of their potential to promote development of the medical equipment
sector, research and development (R&D) and healthcare services, the officials
added.
Under the development plan, the two clusters will receive a total of 5.6 trillion
won (US$4.5 billion) by 2038, with 3.8 trillion won being given to support R&D
projects and the rest to be allocated for operating expenses.
The clusters will become the new homes for medicare-related companies and
laboratories engaged in the development of new drugs, medical equipment and
clinical experiments.
The government claimed the two clusters could help create 382,000 new jobs
starting from 2013 with economic spin-offs expected to reach 82.2 trillion won.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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