Daejeon Medical Tourism Newsletter: Interview Globalization of the original and outstanding traditional Korean medicine

"Globalization of the original and outstanding traditional Korean medicine that is gaining recognition abroad!"

There has a steady increase in medical tourists coming to Korea, as a result of the advanced technology boasted by the healthcare sector as well as the government’s efforts to nurture the medical tourism industry. Korea’s hospital system is especially drawing global attention, due to the K-Disease Control Model that was effective in containing COVID-19. To discuss various aspects of Korea’s healthcare sector, we interviewed Dr. Yoon Je-pil, the Director of Phil Hospital of Korean Medicine, contributing to the globalization of traditional Korean medicine.

Q1. Dr. Yoon, could you share with us your activities and experiences in globalizing traditional Korean medicine?

After working in Ethiopia as a traditional Korean medicine doctor in an international cooperation program for 3 years, I returned home to Korea and began my career as a medical specialist at Jasaeng Hospital of Korean Medicine in 2007. I was appointed as the Director of the International Healthcare Center, and my biggest concern, while preparing to globalize traditional Korean medicine for a year, was how I was going to come up with a success model. Jasaeng Hospital of Korean Medicine was the first traditional Korean medicine hospital to advance into the United States. Targeting Americans from the middle to upper class, I came up a new medical service system due to the difference in the medical and labor laws between Korea and the United States and thought long and hard when recruiting the staff. I also felt the need for an X-ray machine, so I decided to also hire a chiropractor who could legally perform spinal adjustments in the United States. As a result, Jasaeng Center for Integrative Medicine was established in Fullerton in 2009.

Q2. Is there a special reason for volunteering abroad with the Koren Medicine Service Team Abroad (KOMSTA)?

In my first year as a resident at Jasaeng Hospital of Korean Medicine, I volunteered abroad for the first time with KOMSTA, and it was in Sri Lanka. That experience became a turning point in my life. Without any time to adjust to the new environment, I was thrown into field where I was so busy treating the patients who were flocking over endlessly that I did not even realize how the four-day volunteer trip passed by. I also found it regrettable to return home to Korea and leave the patients because I felt that they’d get much better with ongoing treatment. This experience made me feel that there were a lot more people who were in need of my helping hand abroad than in Korea, and that made me dream of globalizing traditional Korean medicine.

Q3. As you mentioned earlier, you are engaging in numerous activities to globalize and popularize traditional Korean medicine and widely demonstrate its excellence. What are you plans to attract medical tourists this year?

My hospital is equipped with sufficient infrastructure to accommodate foreign patients. I also attended healthcare presentations in Dubai, Mongolia and others with the delegation from Daejeon City and met with representatives of medical institutions and agencies, with plans to build a global network. However, due to the COVID-19, I was forced to focus solely on online PR. With the support of Daejeon International Marketing Enterprise (MICE), I am newly constructing the website of Phil Hospital of Korean Medicine to attract foreign patients and convince them to pay a visit in person.

Q4. What is a competitive edge that traditional Korean medicine has over modern medicine, and what are your thoughts on treatment that incorporates modern medicine and Korean medicine?

The biggest strengths of the non-surgical treatment procedures offered by Phil Hospital of Korean Medicine are that it is more affordable and characterized by a lower rate of recurrence compared to surgical treatment. However, I don’t think it’s possible to say traditional Korean medicine is superior to modern medicine or vice versa. Integration of modern medicine and traditional Korean medicine is advantageous in that the diagnostic equipment of modern medicine can be used to make a more accurate diagnosis and the principles of traditional Korean medicine can be applied to design a personalized treatment program for each patient.

Q5. What kind of medical conditions do foreign patients seek medical care at Phil Hospital of Korean Medicine?

Foreign patients visit to receive treatment for slipped disk, spinal stenosis, degenerative joint disease, and other conditions. We also offer integrated immunotherapy based on an integrated approach of modern and traditional Korean medicine. The patients’ immune systems are promoted and strengthened so as to eliminate the underlying cause of the medical condition, and their physical strength and energy are restored, in addition to providing assistance to improve their quality of life.

Q6. Could you explain the one-stop services provided by your hospital for foreign medical tourists?

All the medical professionals at Phil Hospital of Korean Medicine are capable of speaking English. We are also staffed with a professional nutritionist to devise individually customized dietary program for the inpatients. We are equipped with private, semi-hotel-grade patient rooms to ensure that our patients can receive treatment in comfort. We operate a shuttle bus for foreign tourists to enjoy shopping and sightseeing in nearby areas.

Q7. Last but not least, what is the vision of Phil Hospital of Korean Medicine?

Next year, Phil Hospital of Korean Medicine will be designated as a training hospital and become staffed with more interns and residents in training. We will make every effort to become an exemplary traditional Korean medicine hospital staffed with medical specialists. There are also plans to establish a branch hospital. It is our hope that more people will be able to access scientific traditional Korean medicine treatment without any financial burden through our hospital.

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