Oh Sehun: "Expanding Urgent Care Centers to Five Locations... Strengthening Essential Medical Services"

Announcement of Three Major Public Healthcare Future Strategies

Introducing AI to Medical Sites to Boost Efficiency

Discounted Cancer Screening Packages for People in Their 20s and 30s

Oh Sehoon, the People Power Party’s candidate for Seoul mayor, announced plans to operate Seoul-type Emergency Care Centers in each region. By increasing the number of emergency care centers dedicated to mild emergency patients during nights and holidays, he aims to reduce the overload at large hospital emergency rooms and strengthen Seoul’s public healthcare infrastructure.

On May 15, Oh unveiled his “Three Major Public Healthcare Future Strategies.” The core of the plan is to expand the current two Seoul-type Emergency Care Centers (UCC), located in Yangcheon and Songpa districts, to five centers—one in each of the following regions: central, northeast, northwest, southwest, and southeast. The centers will primarily serve patients with acute but mild conditions such as trauma, abdominal pain, and high fever, operating daily until midnight.

Seoul mayoral candidate from the People Power Party, Oh Sehoon, is speaking at the launch ceremony of the Seoul City Party Election Committee and the joint meeting between the Seoul City Party Election Committee and the mayoral candidate at the People Power Party central office in Yeouido, Seoul on the 12th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

The Seoul-type Emergency Care Center is a key public healthcare hub designed to alleviate overload at large hospital emergency rooms by handling patients who require immediate care but have lower severity, especially at night and on holidays. The system was introduced in November 2024 in response to frequent cases of patients being transferred from one emergency room to another due to prolonged gaps in medical coverage.

In the northeast region, a municipal children’s hospital will be built in Gwangjin District, and Seoul Medical Center will be specialized as a public cancer treatment hub. In the northwest, a western dental hospital for people with disabilities will be opened. In the southwest, the emergency medical center at Seonam Hospital will be expanded, and the Boramae Respiratory Care Center will be operated year-round to strengthen its functions.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology will be introduced onsite. AI will assess patient symptoms before treatment and automatically handle foreign language interpretation. With patient status monitored in real time through smartwatches, the goal is to create an environment where medical staff can focus on the areas where they are most needed.

Long-term plans are also underway to stably secure future public healthcare personnel. Seoul will establish a scholarship program within private universities to provide direct scholarships to medical students, and after graduation, require them to work at municipal hospitals for a certain period.

Through public-private cooperation, essential medical services will be expanded. A support network will be established for patients with severe and rare heart or cerebrovascular diseases, and a standard model for drug response will be created to strengthen the mental health emergency response system. In the field of pregnancy and childbirth, Seoul will become the first in the nation to operate a public-private partnership “Seoul-type Safe Postnatal Care Center,” expand medical expense support for pregnant women aged 35 and older, and increase the number of Moonlight Children’s Hospitals.

For younger generations, a new cancer screening package exclusive to those in their 20s and 30s will be introduced, with a 10% discount on screening costs. An integrated linkage system will also be established so that patients discharged from municipal hospitals can be naturally connected to local care services when they return home.

Oh stated, “Robust public healthcare enhances the quality of life for Seoul citizens,” adding, “I will ensure that people can feel the city is there for them at the moments they need it most.”

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