Single governance structure unifies hospitals under 'One Kyung Hee' framework
Five-year development strategy targets research, care and infrastructure overhaul
Kyung Hee University Medical Center marked its 55th anniversary Friday, declaring a new chapter under the slogan "Deep Healing, Wide Care" and rebranding as "Kyung Hee Medicine." The institution said it aims to consolidate five decades of expertise in Western medicine, dentistry and traditional Korean medicine under a unified system — connecting clinical care, research, academia, industry and global partners to build a medical ecosystem for the next 100 years.
The anniversary ceremony was held Friday in the first seminar room on the first below-ground floor of the Biomedical Research Building, with about 300 faculty and staff in attendance. The program included a commemorative video titled "The Future of Humanity, the Challenge of Kyung Hee: A 55-Year Journey," a presentation of the medical center's future strategy by Medical Center Director Oh Ju-hyung, a commemorative address by Kyung Hee Educational Foundation Chairman Cho In-won, an awards ceremony, and a staff interview video titled "Pride and Hope for the Future, as Told by Our Members."
Founded on Oct. 5, 1971, Kyung Hee University Medical Center was built on the founding philosophy of Kyung Hee Educational Foundation — the realization of "a human society free of disease." Over the past 55 years, it has developed an integrated medical system spanning Western medicine, dentistry and traditional Korean medicine, building its own distinct capabilities through clinical care, education and research.
In March, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University Dental Hospital and Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital established a single governance structure under the medical center to strengthen inter-institutional cooperation and accountability. The medical center described the move as a transition toward "One Kyung Hee." Each institution will retain its own clinical specialization while deepening coordination across care, research, education and administration — supplemented by the university's academic and research capabilities — to meet the demands of future medicine.
The institution also adopted a new English name, replacing "Kyung Hee University Medical Center" with "Kyung Hee Medicine." The new name reflects its ambition to integrate Western medicine, dentistry and traditional Korean medicine into a single framework and to advance in partnership with academia, industry and the global community.
Oh presented the five-year development plan — titled "Drawing the 60th Anniversary on 55 Years of Trust: A Five-Year Vision" — at the ceremony, outlining concrete strategies centered on three pillars: Research, Care and Infrastructure.
On the research front, the medical center plans to strengthen leading-edge research aimed at solving emerging and intractable diseases. It will expand convergence and translational research by combining capabilities across Western medicine, dentistry, traditional Korean medicine and biomedical engineering, while pursuing specialized research in advanced technologies — including quantum computing and quantum sensing — and building a sustainable research ecosystem through global collaboration.
In clinical care, the focus will be on providing medicine that takes full responsibility for the most critically ill patients. The center plans to enhance its capabilities in cancer, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, rare and intractable conditions, emergency care and critical illness — introducing advanced cancer treatment technologies, integrated care combining Western and traditional Korean medicine, and AI-driven smart hospital systems to transform the entire patient treatment process.
On the infrastructure side, the medical center will strengthen the operational systems and physical spaces that underpin research and clinical care. It plans to upgrade AI- and data-driven medical administration and staff support systems, and to develop an open collaborative hub — centered on the Kyung Hee Medicine Complex — that connects research, clinical care and industry.
The medical center identified the Kyung Hee Medicine Complex as the central hub for realizing its development strategy.
The Kyung Hee Medicine Complex is envisioned as both a research and clinical anchor and a convergence space linking the university with industry and global research institutions. Currently dispersed research facilities will be consolidated to drive qualitative growth, while the physical footprint is set to expand by up to three times to support quantitative growth as well.
The complex will house an AI clinical research center, open laboratories, a clinical data repository and a convergence research lounge, alongside expanded clinical spaces integrated with research activities. The goal is to create a virtuous cycle in which problems identified in clinical settings feed into research, and research findings are brought back to benefit patient treatment.
"The 55th anniversary marks an important turning point — a moment to consolidate accountable management under a single governance structure and prepare for a sustainable future," Oh said. "We will take full responsibility for the most critically ill patients and build an organization that earns the trust of patients and the pride of our staff." He added that the center would "proactively address the diseases of the future, grounded in the values of deep healing and wide care."
Following the ceremony, an academic symposium marking the first anniversary of the medical center's designation as a research-focused hospital was held from 10:30 a.m. The event, themed "The Future of Precision Medicine Led by Smart Healthcare and Quantum Technology," featured presentations by Oh Dae-wook, a senior executive at GE HealthCare; Professor Ha Taek-jip of Harvard Medical School; and Professor Son Seok-gyun of the Kyung Hee University Department of Physics, who together explored the future of medicine through research and technological innovation.
kty@heraldcorp.com
