HONGSEONG — Naepo Children's Hospital, now under construction in the Naepo New Town in South Chungcheong Province, will open in October 2028.
South Chungcheong Province said on the 14th that Governor Park Soo-hyun signed a memorandum of understanding with Dankook University Hospital President Kim Jae-il on the construction and contracted operation of Naepo Children's Hospital at the provincial government's situation room.
The two sides agreed to cooperate on the successful construction of Naepo Children's Hospital, the first phase of the Naepo New Town general medical facility project, and on its stable opening and operation.
Chang Ho-sung, chairman of the Dankook University school foundation, and Heo Seung-wook, vice president of Dankook University's Cheonan campus, also attended, signaling the university's strong interest in and commitment to supporting the hospital.
The province and Dankook University Hospital agreed to work together on the hospital's construction, the establishment of an efficient treatment and operating system, the recruitment of medical staff and operational preparations, and all matters needed for a smooth opening.
Under the agreement, the province will handle the hospital's construction and provide the administrative and financial foundation, while Dankook University Hospital will draw on its experience in pediatric care and hospital management to build the treatment system and assemble an appropriate medical workforce.
"The successful construction of Naepo Children's Hospital is significant in itself, but it also lays the foundation for a stable pediatric medical system in South Chungcheong through smooth operation after it opens," Park said. "Once Naepo Children's Hospital opens, it will end the desperation that pediatric patients and their parents have endured and serve as a solid hub for closing the gap in pediatric care in South Chungcheong."
"Building on the overwhelming medical capability and expertise of Dankook University Hospital, which has been responsible for severe and emergency care in South Chungcheong, we will make Naepo Children's Hospital a nationwide model of success for public pediatric care," he added.
Naepo Children's Hospital is being built on a medical facility site in the Naepo New Town in Hongbuk-eup, Hongseong County, with a total investment of 48.7 billion won ($34 million). The building will have one basement level and three above-ground floors, with a total floor area of 5,326 square meters.
It will be a hospital specializing in pediatric care, equipped with a pediatric-only emergency room, outpatient clinics and an inpatient ward. Construction is scheduled for completion in April 2028, with the opening set for October.
The two institutions also agreed to expand services by adding a pediatric dentistry department. For the inpatient ward, they decided to reduce the number of four-bed rooms and add more single rooms, taking into account cross-infection prevention and the preferences of accompanying family members. As a result, the ward has been adjusted to 17 rooms with 30 beds: 10 single rooms, four double rooms and three four-bed rooms.
The province and Dankook University Hospital plan to accelerate preparations for the opening through a working-level consultative body, covering detailed design, medical staff, equipment and information systems, and operating plans. They will also pursue follow-up steps in sequence, including finalizing the operating plan and signing the contracted operation agreement.