Korea University Medical Center Applies for Preliminary Review for Establishment Approval of Hwaseong Dongtan 2 General Hospital

Up to 1,930 New Hospital Beds Can Be Established in the Suwon Area

Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 26th that the Korea University Medical Center consortium, the preferred bidder for the "General Hospital Attraction Package Development Project" in Dongtan 2 New Town, has applied to the Ministry of Health and Welfare for a "preliminary review for medical institution establishment approval."

A rendering of the 700-bed Dongtan 2 General Hospital, which the Korea University Medical Center consortium, the preferred bidder for Dongtan 2 General Hospital in Hwaseong, is planning to build. Provided by Hwaseong City

The "preliminary review for medical institution establishment approval" is a newly established procedure under the Ministry of Health and Welfare's "3rd Basic Policy for Hospital Bed Supply" and the amended Medical Service Act in June, designed to build a hospital bed management system and a regionally integrated healthcare system.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 3rd Basic Policy for Hospital Bed Supply, the Suwon area-which includes Suwon, Hwaseong, and Osan-is classified as a region eligible for additional hospital beds among the country's 70 medical service areas. As of October, up to 1,930 new beds can be established in the Suwon area.

Currently, the Suwon area has Ajou University Hospital and St. Vincent's Hospital, both tertiary general hospitals, in Suwon, and Hallym University Dongtan Hospital in Hwaseong. However, Hwaseong City explained that these facilities are insufficient to meet the rapidly increasing demand due to the city's population growth.

Hwaseong City and Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) plan to proceed with each stage of the process-such as signing a business agreement with the preferred bidder, establishing a special purpose company (SPC), and executing a land sales contract-without delay after receiving approval from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, in order to establish a regionally integrated healthcare system.

Jung Myunggeun, Mayor of Hwaseong, stated, "Since the selection of the preferred bidder for Dongtan 2 General Hospital, we have mobilized all administrative resources to advance the approval process," adding, "We ask the consortium to make every effort to ensure that the construction of the general hospital proceeds without any setbacks."