Gangneung City Ramps Up Emergency and Essential Medical Safety Net
Mayor Kim Hongkyu Visits Gangneung Asan Hospital to Encourage Medical Staff
Gangneung City in Gangwon Province (Mayor Kim Hongkyu) is working to address gaps in emergency medical care and strengthen preventive healthcare, aiming to establish a regional medical safety net that citizens can truly experience. On December 16, Mayor Kim Hongkyu will visit Gangneung Asan Hospital to encourage healthcare workers who protect the health of citizens and to listen to voices from the medical field.
Gangneung Asan Hospital is the only advanced general hospital and regional emergency medical center in the Yeongdong area. Recently, the hospital has been actively collaborating with Gangneung City to bridge regional gaps in essential medical services and minimize medical service shortages.
In particular, in critical fields such as emergency care, cardiovascular treatment, and pediatrics-which are directly linked to citizens’ lives-the hospital has achieved tangible results, such as signing a joint response agreement on December 4 with Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and nine cities and counties in the Yeongdong living area.
Additionally, on October 13, Gangneung Asan Hospital signed a mutual growth business agreement to revitalize the local economy, setting a new model for regional cooperation by providing all employees with welfare points in the form of local currency (Gangneung Pay), and leading the way in shared regional growth.
Gangneung City is also supporting Gangneung Asan Hospital to maintain emergency and essential medical services by providing allowances for the training of medical residents in key fields. This support helps strengthen emergency response capabilities, minimize service gaps, and ensure the stable provision of medical services.
On December 16, Mayor Kim Hongkyu will visit the hospital cafeteria, which serves about 1,200 people daily, to personally serve meals to each healthcare worker and express his gratitude. He will then visit the regional emergency medical center to hold a dialogue for mutual growth with emergency room staff responsible for emergency patients in the Yeongdong area, as well as with the hospital director.
Yoo Changshik, Director of Gangneung Asan Hospital, said, "I am deeply grateful for listening to and encouraging the medical staff on the ground," adding, "Thanks to Gangneung City's proactive response for essential regional healthcare, Gangneung Asan Hospital will do its utmost in medical care so that the community can truly feel the changes."
Mayor Kim Hongkyu of Gangneung City stated, "I would like to express my deep gratitude to all hospital staff who protect the lives and safety of our citizens," and added, "Going forward, Gangneung City will take the lead in further strengthening the medical safety net to create a city where citizens can feel secure."
Meanwhile, Gangneung City has designated and is operating the only Moonlight Children's Hospital (I&Mom Pediatrics Clinic) in the Yeongdong area to address gaps in pediatric and adolescent care during nights and holidays. This has helped reduce emergency room overcrowding and created an environment where parents can confidently seek medical care for their children even at night.
Furthermore, the city has achieved meaningful results in preventive healthcare. Since 2024, Gangneung City has provided free shingles vaccinations to vulnerable seniors aged 80 and above. In 2025, the eligibility was relaxed to include those aged 70 and above, resulting in 3,246 people being vaccinated as of the end of October. Starting in 2026, the city plans to expand eligibility to those aged 65 and above, which is expected to help reduce medical expenses for seniors and support healthy aging.
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