Daedong Hospital's 77th Anniversary, Preparing for a New Century

Daedong Hospital.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] Daedong Hospital, the private hospital with the longest history in the Busan area, will celebrate its 77th anniversary on the 1st of next month.

Daedong Hospital, which originally opened as Daedong Clinic in the Dongnae area of Busan on October 1, 1945, by Dr. Park Young-seop, the first director and an independence activist, has been recognized for elevating South Korea's national prestige by practicing borderless medical benevolence both domestically and internationally.

The late Dr. Park Young-seop, the founder and first director, was an independence activist who received a presidential citation in recognition of his contributions to Korea's autonomous independence and establishment during the Japanese colonial period.

After achieving Korean independence and opening Daedong Clinic, he devoted 25 years to medical care for patients suffering from various diseases with the belief that “although independence was achieved, all local residents, regardless of wealth, should receive the same level of medical benefits.”

The founding spirit of the first hospital director has been carried on by the second director Han Gap-seok and currently by Director Park Seong-hwan.

The hospital, in cooperation with Busan City, conducts overseas medical training for doctors and continuously practices charitable medical care by inviting or visiting patients in need in countries such as Mongolia, Russia, and Vietnam.

Daedong Hospital will participate together with Daedong University in the 14th Busan International Medical Tourism Convention, held over two days from September 30 to October 1 at BEXCO in Haeundae.

Additionally, as a leading medical institution in Busan’s medical tourism, it has been selected for two consecutive times, actively promoting Busan’s excellent medical services overseas and leading efforts to attract foreign patients.

Despite the fact that Busan’s first confirmed COVID-19 case and first death occurred at Daedong Hospital during the past three years of the pandemic, the hospital demonstrated a swift response.

Park Seong-hwan, Director of Daedong Hospital and Chairman of Daedong University, stated, “We were able to overcome difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic by actively communicating and cooperating with health authorities and Busan City.”

Preparing for the post-COVID era, Daedong Hospital plans to expand its personnel and equipment to enhance its capacity to respond to cardiovascular disease patients and emergency cases due to the aging population.

Director Park said, “Daedong Hospital represents a residential area in Busan where about 500,000 people live nearby, and we must prepare for the continuous increase in cardiovascular disease patients. We plan to reinforce personnel and equipment to establish a one-stop medical system that ensures prompt emergency response and seamless follow-up care the next day.”

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