Greenland International Hospital has filed a lawsuit against the provincial government because it banned the hospital from treating Korean nationals. The province is forming a legal team to handle the suit. Joseph Kim reports.

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Greenland files suit against province

The Greenland International Hospital was approved last year as the nation's first for-profit investor-owned hospital on condition that the scope of patients that the hospital can treat is limited to non-Koreans.

The Chinese capital-invested hospital is obliged to start medical service before March 4 by the nation's medical laws.

Meanwhile, the company chose to engage in a legal battle.

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Greenland: Illegal for province to ban treatment of Koreans

The hospital said it is unlawful for the province to ban it from limiting the scope of the patients.

According to a petition submitted by the hospital, it argues that the attached condition is unlawful.

Actually, the legal battle was foreseen right after the province approved the business in December last year.

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Greenland indicated last year that it was considering legal action

Greenland sent an official letter to the province that indicates that it was reviewing legal action against the province's conditioned approval.

The province, on the other hand, said that the limitation is lawful and is preparing to form a legal team to handle the administrative suit.

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Province: Ban on treatment of Korean nationals is lawful

The Ministry of Health and Welfare made an authoritative interpretation on the Medical Law and concluded in January, 2018 that it is not unlawful for the medical institute to reject providing medical service to Korean nationals in order to comply with the condition.

Interview
Provincial government representative
Seoul concluded that the condition doesn't violate Article 15.1 of the Medical Law because it is aimed at protecting the nation's public medical system.
< 제주도 관계자 >
공공의료체계 보호를 위한 방향이기 때문에 중앙에서는 의료법 15조 1항의 위반이 아니라고 판단해서 내국인 진료 제한을 (한 것입니다.)

The province is planning to submit concerns on the hospital expressed by civic groups and political communities to the court along with legal grounds supporting the province's decision.

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Province wants to enshrine ban into law through Jeju Special Act

It is also persuading the National Assembly to pass the revision bill of the Jeju Special Act that contains the restriction of providing medical services to Korean nationals by an international for-profit medical center.

[Reporter] Joseph Kim
[Camera] Ko Moon-su / Hyeon Gwang-hoon

Meanwhile, the hospital's medical business license can be revoked through a public hearing if it fails to begin its business before March 4th.

Joseph Kim, KCTV