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Busan Metropolitan City Urges Decision to Convert Baptist Hospital into a Public Hospital

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it held a press conference today (April 21) at 14:20 at the National Assembly Communication Hall to urge a policy decision for the swift public conversion of the former Baptist Hospital.

At the press conference, Mayor Park Heong-joon, along with local National Assembly members, city council members, and gu gun council members, strongly called on the central government to make an immediate policy decision and take action to advance the public conversion of Baptist Hospital.

The press conference was arranged to emphasize the need for a prompt government decision to protect the right to life of Busan’s 3.3 million citizens, as discussions by the subcommittee of the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee under the Ministry of Health and Welfare and site visit schedules have been delayed even after the city’s renewed request for consultation on March 30.

The city highlighted the necessity of the project while expressing its commitment to providing an unprecedented level of financial support for the establishment of a public hospital.

The city has already proposed a comprehensive financial support plan, including covering more than 90 percent of the total project cost of KRW 400.4 billion—amounting to KRW 363.0 billion with city funds—and compensating for 50 percent of operating deficits for 10 years after opening.

It also stressed that if the agenda is delayed due to concerns such as the burden on health insurance finances, the gap in essential regional healthcare could be prolonged, making a swift policy decision imperative.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyeong has even rejected repeated requests for meetings from Busan Metropolitan City and is neglecting the public conversion of Baptist Hospital,” adding, “The public conversion of Baptist Hospital represents the local government’s firm determination to restore the collapsed regional healthcare safety net and take full responsibility for citizens’ lives. The government must make an immediate decision, and we urge that Baptist Hospital be developed into a key public healthcare hub for non-metropolitan regions.”