[Feature] "Patients, Don't Come?Doctors Will Go": Jeju Halla Hospital's Bold Rebellion [Part 1]

Sungsoo Kim: "Renowned Doctors from Seoul Will Come, Not Higher Medical Fees"
Jeju Halla Hospital and Yonsei Severance Sign Bold "Joint Medical Treatment" Agreement
"Unprepared Tertiary Designation Only Empties Residents' Pockets" ... Internal Criticism
"Renowned Seoul Doctors to Perform Surgeries in Jeju" ... "Legal Home Visits" Based on Medical Law
"Starting with Otolaryngology, Where Flying After Surgery Is Difficult"

Editor's Note

On January 19, The Asia Business Daily published a report titled "The Inconvenient Bill for Jeju's Tertiary Hospitals as Seen by a Cancer Patient Reporter (The Asia Business Daily, 2026.1.19)," raising concerns that designating a tertiary general hospital without proper preparation could only increase the financial burden on Jeju residents. Immediately after the report, Jeju Halla Hospital, the party involved, stated that "98% of the issues raised in the article align with the hospital's own perspective," and explained practical medical measures for Jeju. Sungsoo Kim, Chairman of Jeju Halla Medical Foundation, said, "My solution is not to change the signboard and increase medical fees, but to bring renowned doctors from Seoul to Jeju to lower costs for patients," and revealed his bold "alternative" that had been in preparation. This article goes beyond criticism to summarize the intense deliberations between the media and the medical field in search of a practical solution, and aims to present a new path forward for medical care in Jeju.

Sungsoo Kim, Director of Jeju Halla Hospital and Chairman of Halla Medical Foundation. Instead of engaging in the reckless competition to obtain the title of a tertiary general hospital, Chairman Kim has presented a practical solution by inviting renowned doctors from Seoul to Jeju, alleviating the burden of long-distance medical treatment for patients and bringing a fresh impact to the local medical community. Provided by Jeju Halla Hospital.

"It is disrespectful to Jeju residents to simply put up a 'tertiary' sign and raise medical fees without meeting the proper qualifications. What is needed now is not a title, but a 'practical system' that patients can trust without having to travel to Seoul."

Amid heated debate in the local medical community over the designation of a tertiary general hospital, Sungsoo Kim, Chairman of Halla Medical Foundation, presented a weighty topic in an exclusive interview with The Asia Business Daily. He chose "substance" over the competitive race for titles. He openly acknowledged the hardware gap with Seoul's "Big 5" hospitals and vowed to relieve the suffering of local residents through bold cooperation rather than reckless competition.

■ "Opposing Tertiary Hospitals in Name Only... It Only Empties Residents' Pockets"

Chairman Kim did not hold back his criticism regarding the recent controversy over "increased medical fees following tertiary general hospital designation." He pointedly remarked, "If our medical infrastructure and capabilities do not match Seoul's level, raising medical fees is tantamount to emptying the pockets of Jeju residents."

He went on to say, "While the push for tertiary general hospital designation in Jeju stems from issues of 'regional pride,' the result is an increased medical cost burden that residents must bear," adding, "Rather than pushing ahead recklessly without advanced medical technology and services, we need to soberly face our current reality."

Of course, Halla Hospital also applied for this designation. Regarding this, Chairman Kim admitted, "Given the atmosphere in the local medical community, it was inevitable; if we alone opted out, it would have led to a sense of deprivation and misunderstanding among our medical staff."

However, he emphasized that the "purpose of our application" is different. Chairman Kim stated, "Our application is to have our proven capabilities, such as in the trauma center, institutionally verified, not to generate profit through increased medical fees."

He further declared, "Even if we are designated and fees do rise, all of that revenue will be reinvested into inviting medical staff from Seoul and operating the system. If this eliminates the airfare and accommodation costs for residents traveling to Seoul, the 'total medical cost' felt by patients will actually be dramatically reduced."

A scene from the 'Joint Medical Treatment, Education Training, and Research Agreement' ceremony signed last year between Jeju Halla Hospital and Yonsei University Medical Center (Severance Hospital, Sinchon). Through this groundbreaking agreement, leading specialists from Severance Hospital in Sinchon, Seoul, will come directly to Jeju to provide medical treatment and perform surgeries under the 'One-team system.' Provided by Jeju Halla Hospital.

Joint Medical Treatment Agreement with Yonsei Severance... "Bringing Seoul Hospitals to Jeju"

On this day, Chairman Kim unveiled his "hidden card" to overcome the limitations of Jeju's medical care: the "joint medical treatment agreement" signed last year with Severance Hospital in Sinchon. This is an innovative model that goes beyond simple patient referrals, with its core being the sharing of the same treatment protocols.

Until now, most patients from the provinces had to carry stacks of test results and imaging data when traveling to major hospitals in Seoul. However, since each hospital uses different electronic chart formats, and the test results brought were often not fully trusted, it was common for patients to have to undergo expensive tests again from scratch in Seoul.

This led to delays in establishing treatment plans and doubled costs, which was the greatest hardship for patients from the provinces.

This joint treatment system has fundamentally resolved such inconveniences. ▲ Data from tests (CT, MRI) performed at Halla Hospital can be checked in real time by specialists at Severance Hospital ▲ Surgeries, if needed, are performed in Seoul ▲ Post-surgery chemotherapy or follow-up care is provided in Jeju according to prescriptions from Seoul medical staff.

Chairman Kim expressed confidence, saying, "This will dramatically reduce the economic and psychological suffering of many Jeju cancer patients who have had to move from one tiny patient room to another near Seoul hospitals."

■ "Starting with Otolaryngology, Where Flying After Surgery Is Difficult"

What is particularly noteworthy is the exchange of personnel. Through this agreement, leading specialists at Severance Hospital in Sinchon, who normally have a two- to three-month waiting list, will come directly to Jeju to provide medical treatment and perform surgeries.

The first field under discussion is otolaryngology. Diseases in this field include many rare cancers, and it is difficult for patients to fly after surgery. Until now, it was hard to find specialized medical staff in Jeju, so most patients had to risk traveling to the Seoul metropolitan area for treatment. To address this, the plan is to prioritize dispatching medical staff from this department to Jeju.

He also dismissed concerns raised by some about the legal feasibility of this arrangement. Article 33 (Medical Practices Outside Established Medical Institutions) and Article 39 (Joint Use of Facilities, etc.) of the Medical Service Act, revised in January 2010, stipulate that "if the heads of medical institutions agree for the purpose of patient care, affiliated medical personnel may be sent to provide treatment on site." Based on this legal foundation established 15 years ago, this is the most practical model for providing Seoul-level medical technology to patients in Jeju.

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