[Sportschosun Reporter Jang Jong-ho] International St. Mary’s Hospital, Catholic Kwandong University, led by Medical Center and Hospital Director Father Ko Dong-hyun, has expanded and reorganized its existing pediatric and adolescent care system. It has begun operating an Integrated Pediatric and Adolescent Medical Center covering the entire period from birth through adolescence.
International St. Mary’s Hospital held a blessing ceremony on the first of the month for its Integrated Pediatric and Adolescent Medical Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The ceremony marked a new beginning aimed at strengthening pediatric and adolescent care capabilities in the region, based on respect for life and the value of caregiving. The hospital explained that the launch was intended to address Incheon’s demographic structure and the resulting demand for pediatric and adolescent medical services.
Seohae-gu in Incheon, where International St. Mary’s Hospital is located, as well as nearby Geomdan-gu and Yeongjong-gu, have a high proportion of residents aged 19 or younger. Based on resident registration figures from July 2026, those aged 19 or younger accounted for 21% of the population in Geomdan-gu, 18.5% in Yeongjong-gu, and 16.5% in Seohae-gu. All three figures exceeded the average for Incheon Metropolitan City, which stood at 15.1%. Geomdan-gu had the highest proportion of residents aged 19 or younger among all autonomous districts in Incheon.
Taking these regional characteristics into account, International St. Mary’s Hospital established an integrated care system in which medical professionals from various specialties work together to connect patients with the care they need throughout every stage of a child’s growth.
The Integrated Pediatric and Adolescent Medical Center includes specialists in pediatric cardiology, pediatric surgery, infectious diseases, rehabilitation, endocrinology, pulmonology, and allergy care. It also works with related departments, including pediatric neurosurgery, orthopedics, urology, ophthalmology, and psychiatry, to coordinate the treatment each child needs.
With the launch of the integrated medical center, International St. Mary’s Hospital also began full-scale operations of its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and reinforced its pediatric and adolescent medical staff. The hospital recruited Professor Kim Ho, a specialist in neonatal and pediatric emergency care, and Professor Lee Kyung-hoon, a specialist in pediatric pulmonology and allergy care, further strengthening its specialized treatment capabilities.
Father Ko Dong-hyun, director of the Catholic Kwandong University Medical Center and the hospital, said, "Pediatric and adolescent care is an important area of medicine that cannot be judged solely by its economic value. It protects lives and helps children grow in good health." He added, "As a Catholic medical institution, protecting the dignity of life and providing the medical services needed by the local community are important responsibilities that we must undertake."
He continued, "We will continue to strengthen the care capabilities needed by the local community and become a medical institution that accompanies people through every moment of a healthy life, from the beginning of life through adulthood."
Meanwhile, International St. Mary’s Hospital has continued working to establish a care system that strengthens essential medical services in the region. After enhancing its capabilities in the acute treatment of adult cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases through the opening of its Cardiovascular Hospital last year and the continued recruitment of neurosurgeons for its Neurovascular Center, the hospital has further advanced its pediatric and adolescent care system with the launch of the Integrated Pediatric and Adolescent Medical Center.
Jang Jong-ho, Reporter bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
