New general hospital to open in northwestern Seoul

Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital / Courtesy of Catholic University of Korea

Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital said Tuesday that it will open next month, marking the first general hospital in Seoul's northwestern region.

The 300-bed hospital, under the Catholic University of Korea, will officially open Monday with 39 medical departments under its arm, ranging from cardiology to neurology.

When it is fully open, the hospital will significantly bump up the total number of beds to over 800.

"Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital is the first general hospital in this part of the capital city," professor Kwon Soon-yong told reporters, adding that the people in the region will be able to receive high quality professional medical care.

The hospital is within walking distance of major residential areas in the Eunpyeong and Seodaemun wards, and only 37 kilometers away from North Korea's industrial city of Kaesong.

The hospital said it aims to serve a role in inter-Korean relations as the two Koreas move to expand cooperation in the health and medical sectors.

"Our hospital is a cutting-edge general hospital that also happens to be closest to Kaesong," Kwon said, adding the doctors will explore ways to support orphans and pregnant women in North Korea. (Yonhap)