"Medical Data Safe Utilization Center" Opens at Konyang University Hospital in Chungcheong Region

Supporting Research on AI-Based Medical Technologies and New Drug Development

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on April 16 that the Chungcheong region's "Medical Data Safe Utilization Center" has opened at Konyang University Hospital.

A view of Konyang University Hospital located in Gwanjeo-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon. Konyang University Hospital

The Safe Utilization Center is a dedicated secure analysis space designed to allow sensitive medical data to be analyzed safely without being taken outside the facility. Researchers can use not only the institution's own medical data but also data from the Health and Medical Big Data Platform and the National Cancer Public Big Data.

Since 2023, the Ministry has been designating and operating Safe Utilization Centers in each region to allow researchers to safely analyze and utilize healthcare data. The existing centers include the Korea Health Information Service (Seoul), Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center (Daegu), Pusan National University Hospital (Gyeongsang), Wonju Severance Christian Hospital (Gangwon), Chungnam National University Hospital (Chungnam), National Cancer Center (Gyeonggi), and Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital (Jeonnam). With this opening, there are now eight Safe Utilization Centers nationwide.

With the additional opening of the Chungcheong region Safe Utilization Center, the foundation for the safe use of medical data in the region is further expanded. The combination of clinical and medical records with public data will enable analysis for developing AI-based medical technologies, precision medicine research, and new drug development, thereby invigorating data-driven research across various fields.

In particular, the Konyang University Hospital Safe Utilization Center will serve as a pilot center for the "cloud-based remote data access" model, providing a testbed for utilizing GPUs in the cloud for AI development within a secure on-site workspace.

Kim Hyunsook, Director-General for Advanced Medical Support at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "Demand for the use of medical data in AI research, development, and verification has recently increased significantly. We hope that the expansion of Safe Utilization Centers will improve accessibility and convenience for data-driven research, and strengthen public trust in the safe use of medical data."

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