Promote Cooperation Between China and South Korea in the Big Health Sector: Embassy of the Republic of Korea Ambassador Roh Jae-heon and His Delegation Visit Jinan Medical Center

On November 19, coinciding with the convening of the 2025 China (Shandong)-Republic of Korea Friendship Week and Shandong-Republic of Korea Economic and Trade Exchange Conference in Jinan, Roh Jae-heon, Embassy of the Republic of Korea Ambassador, led a delegation to visit and exchange ideas at Jinan Medical Center. The visit aimed to conduct on-site inspections of the achievements of  cooperation between China and Republic of Korea in the medical and health sector and jointly explore innovative development paths for China and Republic of Korea medical cooperation. Lei Jie, President of Shandong Jinan Commitee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Sun Changjian, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of Jinan Municipal People's Congress, Secretary of Huaiyin District Party Committee, and Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Jinan Medical Center, as well as Li Hong, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Shandong Provincial Party Committee, accompanied the visit. More than 80 participants attended the event, including representatives from renowned Republic of Korea enterprises such as CJ Group, Hyundai Motor, SK HOLDINGS, Korean Air, and Samsung Electronics.

Delegation first went to the Tumor Prevention and Treatment Base at Jinan Medical Center. As a key achievement of deepening cooperation with the Republic of Korea, the base was officially approved in February this year and settled at the Shandong Proton Center. With "research-clinical application-achievement transformation" as its main line, the base focuses on the research and promotion of radiotherapy technology, precision diagnosis, early screening, and new treatment models, aiming to build an international, high-end platform for tumor clinical practice, scientific research, talent training, and international exchanges. During the visit, the delegation gained a detailed understanding of the medical center's overall strategic planning and latest construction achievements, especially mad the substantive progress in cooperation between China and Republic of Korea.

Subsequently, the delegation visited Jinan Precision Medicine Industrial Park, where they toured the Republic of Korea New Technology Experience Center for Big Health and the Republic of Korea Dental Industry Experience Center successively. As an innovative platform to expand cooperation with the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea New Technology Experience Center for Big Health was co-built by Jinan Medical Center and the Korea Small and Medium Business Administration, showcasing 410 innovative products from 137 Republic of Korea enterprises. The Republic of Korea Dental Industry Experience Center, put into operation in August this year, mainly displays products from Republic of Korea cooperative enterprises in the dental field. These two platforms not only provide product exhibition space for Republic of Korea-invested enterprises but also assist them in quickly integrating into the Chinese market through one-stop services such as legal person registration, medical certification, and market development.

During the visit, Ambassador Roh Jae-heon exchanged views with several settled Republic of Korea enterprises including Digital dental hub, Boshi Tongyuan, and inquired in detail about their market operations at the medical center. He stated that many Republic of Korea enterprises have already settled in the Republic of Korea New Technology Experience Center for Big Health, and hoped that Republic of Korea enterprises would play a more diverse role in the medical field. He believed that the further advancement of the China and Republic of Korea Free Trade Agreement would provide more institutional guarantees and mechanism support for cooperation in relevant fields.

In an interview with the media, Liu Changxiu, Consul General of Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Qingdao, said that Ambassador Roh Jae-heon attaches great importance to the healthcare industry, regarding it as a cooperation field with huge potential between China and the Republic of Korea. With more Republic of Korea enterprises actively participating, the bio-healthcare field is expected to become an important growth driver leading China and Republic of Korea economic cooperation. In the future, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Qingdao, together with relevant institutions such as the Korea Small and Medium Business Administration, will make joint efforts to fully promote more active exchanges and cooperation in the bio-health industry between the two countries.

Since its establishment in 2017, Jinan Medical Center has established close cooperative relations with institutions such as the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, KOTRA, and the Korea Small and Medium Business Administration. It has successively held 8 China-Republic of Korea Healthcare Cooperation Exchange Conferences and 3 China-Republic of Korea (Jinan) New Technology Enterprise Exchange Conferences for the Big Health Industry, built the Republic of Korea New Technology Experience Center for Big Health and the Republic of Korea Dental Industry Experience Center, and is jointly setting up an investment fund with Hana Financial Group. Currently, the medical center has introduced Republic of Korea enterprises such as Digital Dental Hub, Boshi Tongyuan, Entel, and Apolun, as well as institutions including the China-Republic of Korea Dream Aesthetic Medicine Center and the Intelligent Dental Diagnosis and Treatment Center, becoming the most comprehensive, pragmatic, and efficient innovative composite platform for China-Republic of Korea cooperation in the medical and health field in China.

During this Friendship Week, the medical center exchanged views with several Republic of Korea financial institutions and enterprises, providing more opportunities for deepening cooperation between the two sides. In the future, Jinan Medical Center will continue to uphold the concept of openness and cooperation, constantly explore new paths for cooperation with the Republic of Korea, promote the establishment of in-depth cooperative relations with Daegu High-Tech Medical Complex and Incheon Free Economic Zone, and build a higher-level cooperation mechanism in fields such as precision medicine and biotechnology. By extensively gathering medical innovation resources and deepening pragmatic cooperation between China and Republic of Korea in the medical and health field, it will inject new momentum into promoting the coordinated development of the health industry.

Kim Jin-tong, Economic Minister Counselor of Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Kim Jin-gon, Director of the Korea Cultural Center, Park Dae-gyu, Commercial Officer, Ryu In-sik, Minister Counselor, and Yang Jie, Chairman of The Korea Chamber of Commerce in China, participated in the event.  (Li Yifan)