Hwaseong City Secures Preliminary Approval from Ministry of Health and Welfare for Korea University Dongtan Hospital Establishment

Securing 700 Beds... Full-scale Promotion of a Smart Hospital and "Comprehensive Life-cycle Care Complex"


Addressing Medical Gaps in the Southwestern Metropolitan Area and Accelerating the Realization of a "Top-tier Medical Safety City"

Hwaseong Special City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun) announced on March 24 that the Ministry of Health and Welfare granted preliminary approval for the establishment plan of the (tentatively named) Korea University Dongtan Hospital as a general hospital on March 23.

Bird's-eye view of Korea University Dongtan Hospital (700 beds). Provided by Hwaseong City

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's preliminary approval, under the "Phase 3 Basic Bed Supply Policy," the Suwon area (which includes Suwon, Hwaseong, and Osan) to which Hwaseong Special City belongs is classified as a region where the supply of general hospital beds is permitted among the nation's 70 medical service areas.

Previously, on March 18, the city signed a "business agreement for supporting the construction and successful operation of the (tentatively named) Korea University Dongtan Hospital" at the main conference room of Dongtan District Office with Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH), Korea University Medical Center, and the consortium's leading companies (Leeds International, Woomee Construction, Mirae Asset Securities).

With the completion of the plan to build a 700-bed hospital covering 26 medical departments in accordance with the Ministry of Health and Welfare's preliminary approval process, the project is expected to accelerate moving forward.

This preliminary approval process was introduced under Article 60 of the Medical Service Act and the "Phase 3 Basic Bed Supply Policy" (announced in August 2023), as well as the amendment to the Medical Service Act (effective June 2025), and is being implemented to establish a hospital bed management system and strengthen a regionally integrated medical care system.

The (tentatively named) Korea University Dongtan Hospital is planned to have 700 beds across 26 departments, including Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, and Obstetrics & Gynecology. It aims to become a "next-generation integrated medical platform" by incorporating cutting-edge AI systems and hyper-connected digital technologies. In particular, the plan also includes not just the hospital itself, but a recovery and rehabilitation hospital and senior welfare housing, creating a "comprehensive life-cycle care complex" that is expected to serve as a key hub for enhancing the welfare level of the local community.

In addition, by activating an ultra-regional medical cooperation system linked to the southern metropolitan area, the hospital is expected to serve a public role as a national strategic essential medical hub for responding to critical illnesses, infectious diseases, and industrial accidents.

Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun of Hwaseong Special City stated, "With the preliminary approval from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which was the final hurdle, the foundation has been laid for the full-scale promotion of the (tentatively named) Korea University Dongtan Hospital," adding, "We will actively cooperate in all necessary procedures for the project so that citizens can enjoy top-tier medical benefits without leaving the region, and we will closely oversee the construction process to advance as a 'medical safety city.'"

Going forward, the city will fully operate an organic work collaboration system with related organizations, including specialization of medical departments tailored to local characteristics, and will focus its capabilities on accelerating the project to provide the best possible medical services that citizens can experience firsthand.

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