The Seoul National University Hospital on Monday (local time) opened an office in New York to forge ties between the medical staff of the two countries and draw patients to visit the Seoul-based hospital.

According to the hospital, the office is located on 420 Lexington Ave. Suite 2360 of Manhattan, inside the Korea Health Industry Development Institute’s local branch. 

The hospital said the New York office is expected to forge academic and clinical ties among hospitals in the two countries. It is also expected to attract Koreans with U.S. nationality or permanent residency to visit Korea for checkups and specialized treatments at the hospital. The Seoul National University Hospital claims that the quality of its medical services is as good as that of leading U.S. hospitals, but the fees are much cheaper.

The New York office will run a special program jointly with the hospital’s Gangnam center in southern Seoul which specializes in health checkups. Under the program, those detected with abnormalities will be referred to the hospital immediately for further examinations and treatments.

“I hope the NY office will serve to enhance the health status of Koreans in the U.S. I also expect it to play a major role in the internationalization of the Korean medical services,” said Jung Hee-won, president of the hospital.

The SNUH opened its L.A. office in November, 2008. More than 3,000 have since visited the SNUH through the L.A. office’s arrangement for medical checkups and other services.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)