Korea University Guro Hospital
Korea University Guro Hospital

South Korea’s only training center for trauma surgeons is set to close this month due to a lack of funding, Korea University Guro Hospital said Wednesday, raising concerns about the nation’s trauma response system.

The hospital said it plans to shut down its trauma surgeon training center on Feb. 28 after 11 years of operation, citing the government’s complete withdrawal of financial support.

Trauma surgeons are the first to respond when critically injured patients are transported to regional trauma centers by 119 paramedics.

The hospital’s training center was designated as a trauma specialist training facility in Seoul in 2013 by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to address the shortage of such centers nationwide. Over the years, it has trained about 20 trauma specialists, accounting for roughly 70 percent of those currently working in the country.

However, the Health Ministry decided to zero out its annual funding of 900 million won ($620,000), citing a cut in the ministry’s overall budget this year.

The ministry's 2025 budget was slashed by 0.13 percent, or about 165.5 billion won, by the National Assembly, to 125.5 trillion won.

The hospital said it will continue providing treatment for critical trauma patients independently of the training center’s closure. If sufficient funding is secured, the training will resume, it added.