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| An image of Korea University (KU) Medicine Koyoung Campus in Gangnam District, Seoul / Courtesy of KU Medicine |
By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea University (KU) Medicine has supported the government's quarantine efforts as a large general hospital since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was the first university hospital in the country to send medical workers to Daegu, which was a virus hotbed in the first wave of the pandemic here, and operated three facilities in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province for treating patients with mild symptoms.
Doctors and researchers at KU Medicine also participated in developing COVID-19 diagnostic kits, vaccines and plasma treatments, as well as giving policy recommendations to health authorities.
These are part of KU Medicine's efforts to invest in future value rather than seeking short-term results.
The university hospital is also expanding its facilities and rearranging their functions and resources to provide medical treatments and pursue research and education.
In addition to three existing hospitals ― Anam and Guro in Seoul and Ansan in Gyeonggi Province ― it opened its Koyoung Campus in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, and Korea University Medi-Science Park (KUM) in Jeongneung, northeastern Seoul, earlier this month.
Their opening has completed KU Medicine's "5 campus" plan for offering medical treatment, conducting research and providing education and social contributions.
KU Medicine's 'new era' opens in Gangnam
KU Medicine opened its Koyoung Campus, Oct. 7, with KU Medicine President and CEO Kim Young-hoon, Korea Choongang Foundation Chairman Kim Jae-ho and KU President Chung Jin-taek attending the opening ceremony.
The Koyoung Campus has received a great deal of attention from the medical community as it is KU's first property to open in Gangnam in its 116-year history.
The 10-story building is dedicated to creating a cutting-edge healthcare model based on customized treatments, research converging various medical fields and social contribution projects.
The Medical Image Center there will be in charge of analyzing medical image data, which uses an innovative cloud-based hospital information system developed by KU.
The Office of Clinical Trials will also be established there to help domestic medical device manufacturers seeking to expand overseas.
The office was created in September 2019 when KU Medicine obtained an international certificate as an institution conducting clinical trials of medical devices (ISO14155) for the first time among general hospitals here. Medical device manufacturers looking to enter the European market must submit clinical data that meets ISO14155 standards in accordance with the Medical Device Regulations (MDR), and KU Medicine's clinical trials are now recognized globally.
The campus also plays the role of a research base in the at-home healthcare sector, where demand is expected to increase in Korea's aging society and the spread of COVID-19. Through research and development of Korean-style at-home healthcare technology, KU Medicine said the campus aims to become a leader in healthcare services.
The Koyoung Campus will have a social contribution project headquarters under the direct control of the head of KU Medicine, for more systematic and sustainable contribution projects such as medical service volunteering, international health cooperation projects, and national disaster response.
"At the Koyoung Campus, we'll provide not only healthcare services with cutting-edge technology but also convergence research and various social contribution projects," said KU Medicine President and CEO Kim, who is also executive vice president for medical affairs at KU.
"We will do our best to contribute to not only Korea but all of humanity based on the realization of precision medicine and patient-tailored treatment by concentrating our internal capabilities into the new campus," Kim he.
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| An image of the Korea University Medi-Science Park in Seongbuk District, Seoul / Courtesy of KU Medicine |
Medi-Science Park to contribute to pandemic response
The KU Medi-Science Park, located on a 23,640-square-meter site in northeastern Seoul's Seongbuk District, opened on Wednesday. It will work as a base for high-tech research dedicated to developing vaccines and new drugs against new infectious diseases in the future and lead the biomedical sector, one of the most promising industries.
One of the main facilities there is the Chung Mong-koo Vaccine Innovation Center, named after Hyundai Motor Group's honorary chairman who donated 10 billion won ($8.42 million) for the center. At the center, researchers will conduct various studies to develop vaccines and new drugs.
Dongwha Bio Hall, named after Dongwha Group Chairman Seung Myung-ho who donated 3 billion won, will also be set up to house a graduate school and medical data businesses to promote industry-university cooperation in the international healthcare sector. KU Medicine is recruiting research institutes and startups.
In addition, a newly established medical information department and related research facilities will be set up there amid growing demand for big data in tailored medical care. The new department was created to nurture the management and processing of medical big data to lay the foundation for AI-based healthcare research.
"If each campus of KU Medicine cooperates together and continues to innovate, KU Medicine will be able to firmly establish itself as the world's top medical institution in time for the upcoming 100th anniversary of KU Medicine in 2028," Kim said.
