Severance Hospital (Yonsei University)

Severance Hospital is the flagship teaching hospital of Yonsei University Health System, one of South Korea's most prestigious private university medical systems. The hospital's history is deeply intertwined with the introduction of modern Western medicine to Korea. In 1885, American missionary physician Horace N. Allen established Jejungwon, Korea's first modern hospital, with the support of the Korean royal court. This institution evolved into Severance Hospital, named after American philanthropist Louis H. Severance who funded the construction of a dedicated hospital building in 1904. Today, Severance Hospital stands as one of the oldest continuously operating Western-style hospitals in East Asia.

Located in the Seodaemun-gu district of Seoul on the Yonsei University Sinchon campus, Severance Hospital operates 2,032 beds and employs over 10,000 staff. The hospital is the primary teaching facility of Yonsei University College of Medicine, ranked among the top three medical schools in South Korea. Its physicians are leaders in their respective fields, combining clinical excellence with active research programs that have produced thousands of peer-reviewed publications and numerous medical innovations.

Severance Hospital holds JCI (Joint Commission International) accreditation and is a recognized leader in several clinical areas. The Yonsei Cancer Center is one of Asia's premier comprehensive cancer treatment facilities, and the hospital is internationally renowned for its robotic surgery program, which has performed one of the highest numbers of robotic-assisted procedures globally. The hospital is also a major center for cardiovascular surgery, organ transplantation, and neurosciences.

The Yonsei University Health System also includes Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yongin Severance Hospital, and dental and rehabilitation hospitals, creating an integrated academic medical network. Severance Hospital's combination of deep historical roots, academic rigor, and cutting-edge clinical capabilities makes it a top choice for both Korean and international patients seeking advanced medical care.

Severance Hospital's International Health Care Center has decades of experience serving patients from around the world. The center provides a full range of services including pre-visit consultation where specialists review medical records and provide preliminary opinions, medical visa assistance with official invitation letters, airport pickup and transportation to the hospital, dedicated international patient coordinators fluent in English, Chinese, Japanese, and other languages, professional medical interpreters for all clinical encounters, private and VIP international patient rooms, assistance with hotel reservations and local logistics in the Sinchon and Hongdae areas near the hospital, direct billing arrangements with select international insurers, comprehensive health screening packages tailored for international visitors, and post-treatment follow-up through telemedicine. The hospital's university campus setting provides a comfortable and secure environment for patients and their families.