'We will not be a hospital that adapts to change, but one that sets the direction of change'
From severe illness to infectious disease crises, the hospital pledges to stand by the most vulnerable patients
AI and advanced technology to be integrated across all clinical services as hospital evolves into a globally recognized AI institution
Jeon Young-tae, 58, an anesthesiology and pain medicine specialist, was officially inaugurated Wednesday as the 15th president of Bundang Seoul National University Hospital. At a ceremony held at the Future Hall of the hospital's Healthcare Innovation Park in Seongnam, he declared "global leader in future medicine" as his management vision, formally launching his tenure.
The event drew some 300 guests and staff, including Seoul National University President Yoo Hong-lim, Seoul National University Hospital President Baek Nam-jong, Seoul National University College of Medicine Dean Lim Jae-jun, Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin and National Assembly member Kim Eun-hye.
Jeon has been with the hospital since its founding in 2003, building a 23-year career spanning the departments of anesthesiology and pain medicine, public relations, and planning and coordination before serving as deputy director of clinical affairs. He also served as president of the Korean Society of Anesthesiologists and is widely regarded within the hospital as an open, approachable leader who communicates freely across all ranks and roles.
During his time as deputy director of clinical affairs, he was particularly credited with proactively driving the hospital's structural transformation into a tertiary care center, advancing a clinical system focused on severe, rare, intractable and complex conditions, and strengthening its role as a regional anchor institution for public healthcare.
In his inaugural address, Jeon outlined three core priorities under his management goal of "global leader opening a new chapter in future medicine": becoming a hub for future medical innovation, building a self-sufficient essential and public healthcare system for the region, and fostering a hospital culture of shared growth.
"Bundang Seoul National University Hospital is evolving into a fully integrated AI hospital — one where artificial intelligence is embedded across all clinical services — through a real-time smart resource management system and a precision medicine platform that are raising the bar for clinical infrastructure," he said. "Going forward, we will not be a hospital that adapts to change, but one that sets the direction of change and stands at the center of future medical innovation."
On strengthening essential and public healthcare, Jeon said Bundang Seoul National University Hospital must be the last resort for patients with severe, rare or intractable diseases who have nowhere else to turn, as well as for those unable to receive needed treatment due to geographic or financial barriers. "We will build a full-cycle integrated care system connecting patients through diagnosis, treatment, recovery and aftercare, and complete the Greater Seoul infectious disease specialty hospital on schedule — so that we can be the most reliable safeguard for people's lives, from serious illness to national infectious disease crises," he said.
A specialist in anesthesiology and pain medicine, Jeon graduated from Seoul National University College of Medicine and currently serves as a professor in its department of anesthesiology and pain medicine. As president of the Korean Society of Anesthesiologists, he has consistently championed the importance of anesthesia as a cornerstone of essential medical care and remains an active voice in the broader medical community.
kty@heraldcorp.com
