MOHW Holds On-Site Meeting to Improve the Emergency Medical System

- Minister Jeong Eun Kyeong visits the National Medical Center and the National Emergency Medical Center to encourage frontline staff and gather input -

Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun Kyeong visited the National Medical Center (Director Suh Gil Joon) and the National Emergency Medical Center (Director Choi Daihai) at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 2, to encourage medical and administrative staff and hold an on-site meeting with frontline workers and academic experts to discuss ways to improve Korea’s emergency medical system. 

The government has designated the strengthening of regional, essential, and public healthcare as a core policy priority to ensure all citizens can safely access essential services anytime, anywhere. In particular, the government is advancing improvements to the emergency medical system to address the ongoing issue of emergency department patient refusals due to various accumulated factors. 

Improvement initiatives include revising designation criteria for emergency medical institutions to focus on definitive treatment capacity for severe emergency conditions; strengthening differentiated compensation based on the functional roles of each type of emergency medical institution; and establishing a rapid transport–acceptance–transfer system. These initiatives will be refined by incorporating on-site challenges and expert review findings gathered through this meeting and other engagements.

The National Medical Center operates the National Emergency Medical Center, the Regional Trauma Center, and the National Infectious Disease Hospital, serving as the lead public institution in essential national medical fields such as emergency care, trauma, and infectious diseases. With new construction and relocation scheduled for completion in 2029, the National Medical Center is expected to provide higher-quality services and respond more effectively to national crises.

* Seoul urban management plan amended and announced (May 2025); mid-stage design adequacy review underway (since July 2025).

** Total of 776 beds (526 in the main hospital; 100 in the Regional Trauma Center; 150 negative-pressure beds in the National Infectious Disease Hospital).

The National Emergency Medical Center, established under Article 25 of the Emergency Medical Service Act, serves as a support agency for the nation's emergency medical policy. Its functions include operating an emergency medical situation room to support transport and transfer coordination for severe emergency patients; evaluating and supporting approximately 400 emergency medical institutions nationwide; and establishing and managing the emergency medical information and communications network.

Minister Jeong Eun Kyeong stated, “We will create an environment where emergency medical professionals can dedicate themselves to patient care with pride, without being overburdened. Together with those on the frontline, we will swiftly develop and implement improvements to ensure there are no gaps in an emergency medical system that directly affects our citizens’ lives.”

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