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Lawmakers call for recognition of floating clinics
SEOUL, South Korea — Sixteen members of the South Gyeongsang Provincial Council have introduced a resolution calling on South Korea’s national government to formally recognize hospital ships as medical institutions and provide stable funding for their operations.
The proposal, led by council member Kim Chang-woo of Namhae, comes as the province prepares to launch a new hospital ship serving residents of islands without hospitals. Kim is vice chair of the council’s Culture and Welfare Committee.
The resolution urges lawmakers to amend three statutes so hospital ships can be classified as regional public health institutions, health care providers under the national insurance system and authorized national health screening centers. It also calls for a legal basis for national operating subsidies and access to tax-exempt fuel.
Medical care for remote islands
Hospital ships travel among South Korea’s inhabited islands to provide medical services, but they are not recognized as medical institutions under current law. Five vessels operating from South Gyeongsang, South Jeolla, Incheon and South Chungcheong serve 257 islands with a combined target population of 34,066 residents.
South Gyeongsang’s ship covers 41 islands and 51 villages across seven cities and counties, serving an eligible population of 2,379. The province recorded 148,914 patient visits last year.
Under Ministry of Health and Welfare rules, hospital ships are operated by the governors, mayors or county and district leaders whose local governments own the vessels. Operating costs, however, remain the responsibility of those local governments.
New vessel planned for 2027 service
South Gyeongsang is spending 15 billion won to replace the aging Gyeongnam 511, which has traveled among the province’s islands since the early 2000s. The new ship will increase capacity from 162 metric tons to 290 metric tons and accommodate 50 people, up from 18. It will also add equipment for physical therapy, clinical laboratory work and infectious disease response.
A launch ceremony is scheduled for the 30th of this month. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year, with medical service beginning in the first half of 2027.
The province has budgeted 228.69 million won for fuel and 116 million won for medicines in 2026, all from provincial funds. Nationwide, the five hospital ships cost 4.59 billion won to operate last year. Fuel accounted for 2.77 billion won, or 60.5% of the total.
Kim said expanding ships and medical equipment would not be enough without clear legal status and reliable national support. He said hospital ships should become a sustainable part of the public health system so island residents are not denied needed care because of where they live.
The resolution is expected to go before the council’s Culture and Welfare Committee and then the full council during its 437th special session in October. If approved, it will be sent to the Health and Welfare Ministry and other relevant agencies.
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