National Medical Center to Relocate to Jung-gu 'US Army Corps of Engineers Site'

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The National Medical Center is planning to relocate to the 'US Army Corps of Engineers site' in Bangsan-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 1st that they signed a business agreement to rebuild and relocate the National Medical Center from Euljiro 6-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul to the US Army Corps of Engineers site in Bangsan-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul.

This business agreement was made following Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon's proposal in April to relocate the National Medical Center to the US Army Corps of Engineers site in Bangsan-dong, Jung-gu, instead of Wonji-dong, Seocho-gu.

Until now, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Seoul Metropolitan Government had been working to rebuild and relocate the National Medical Center to Wonji-dong, Seocho-gu. However, the originally planned relocation site in Wonji-dong faced difficulties in discussions due to noise from the nearby Gyeongbu Expressway, designation of the surrounding area as a development restriction zone, and traffic inconvenience issues.

According to this business agreement, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Seoul Metropolitan Government plan to prepare detailed plans for the reconstruction and relocation of the National Medical Center by the end of November this year and to actively proceed with procedures such as land sale and purchase after the end of the year.

At the signing ceremony, Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo said, "I hope this business agreement will bring an end to the 17-year-long controversy over the reconstruction and relocation of the National Medical Center," adding, "It is expected to be an opportunity for the National Medical Center to become the central institution of public healthcare in Korea and to strengthen the country's infectious disease response capabilities by building a specialized central infectious disease hospital."

Mayor Park also said, "I expect the National Medical Center to enhance its infectious disease response and treatment capabilities to protect the health of 25 million metropolitan citizens, half of the population," and expressed gratitude, saying, "I appreciate the government's bold decision following Seoul's proposal."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.