National Medical Center to relocate to former US Army Corps site in Seoul

The National Medical Center (NMC) will relocate to a former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers site in Bangsan-dong, Seoul, after more than 60 years. The move aims to establish the NMC as a centralized medical facility in the city center, featuring a central infectious disease hospital and a central trauma center.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on Thursday that its urban management revision plan, which includes relocating the NMC and constructing a central infectious disease hospital, has passed the deliberations of Seoul City’s urban architecture joint committee.

The deliberation confirmed that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers site, where the NMC is set to relocate, will house a comprehensive medical facility and an urban planning facility. The architectural plans for the NMC and the central infectious disease hospital were incorporated into the urban management plan.

Since 1958, the NMC has served as a vital healthcare safety net as the national central hospital. However, its capacity has been limited by aging facilities. To modernize the NMC and enhance its ability to respond to infectious diseases, it will be equipped with both a central infectious disease hospital and a central trauma center.

The new facility will feature four basement floors, 15 floors above ground, and a total area of 196,172㎡. It will have 776 beds in total, including 526 general beds, 150 negative pressure beds, and 100 trauma beds, representing a 1.5-fold increase in capacity compared to the current facility. This expanded facility will serve as a national essential medical institution.

The basic design is currently underway, with plans to complete design and architectural deliberations by 2025, begin construction in 2026, and complete the facility by the end of 2028.