Swedish Medical Support in the Korean War
Check out the story of the Swedish medical support unit dedicated to saving lives during the war and restoring the nation's medical system
Sweden dispatches the first overseas medical support unit
Did you know that the Swedish government was the first to dispatch a medical support unit to Korea? On August 10, 1950, the Swedish government dispatched its first surgeon-general Colonel Carl-Erik Groth, doctors and nurses to Korea under the policy of rotating the medical staff every three to six months.
Swedish medical support unit flies to Korea
The first of the medical support units dispatched by the Swedish government arrived in Busan via New York. The remaining medical personnel traveled through Jerusalem and India to arrive in Busan.
Swedish Hospital 202-3War Memorial of Korea
The door of Sweden School located in Jerusalem, a stopover for flights from Sweden to Korea
Swedish Hospital 202-1War Memorial of Korea
Medical support unit visiting Sweden School with a bullet mark in Jerusalem, a stopover for flights from Sweden to Korea
Swedish Hospital 202-2War Memorial of Korea
Swedish medical support unit stopping over in Calcutta, India, known as a quiet city
Swedish Hospital 202-5War Memorial of Korea
Group photo of Swedish medical support unit at a stopover in Hong Kong
Swedish Hospital 202-4War Memorial of Korea
Photo taken at a stopover in Hong Kong
Establishment of Seojeon Hospital
During the Korean War, the Swedish medical personnel established the Seojeon Hospital, which was a field hospital in Busan and treated over 2 million people.
Medical activities of the Swedish medical support unit
At the time of its opening, Seojeon Hospital was built in a school made up of two wards, 16 sick rooms, an examination room, and an operating room. A prefabricated Quonset building was erected in the schoolyard, which was used as a dorm for nurses, with an inpatient room, cafeteria, and other hospital facilities. It first began as a field hospital behind the frontlines, but as the field hospitals of India and Norway were assigned to the frontlines, Seojeon Hospital was switched to an evacuation hospital, so it stayed in Busan and continued with its medical activities.
Swedish Hospital 202-15War Memorial of Korea
View of Seojeon Hospital
Swedish Hospital 202-12War Memorial of Korea
Seojeon Hospital and tent ward
Swedish Hospital 202-27War Memorial of Korea
Ambulance and emergency patient being treated
Swedish Hospital 202-28War Memorial of Korea
Ambulance and emergency patient being treated
Civilian treatment activities
As the front fell into a stalemate and the number of injuries began to drop, the Swedish medical support unit began treating civilians in earnest in June 1951. From this time on, the citizens of Busan began to experience excellent medical equipment and advanced medical technologies. In particular, the medical unit spared no humanitarian medical support including visiting leper colonies.
Swedish Hospital 202-92War Memorial of Korea
Swedish medical support unit offering medical services at a leper colony
The Republic of Korea in the eyes of Sweden
The Swedish medical personnel who arrived in Korea to provide medical support also captured scenes of Busan from their perspective with cameras. Despite being refugees roaming the streets due to war, their hard work to survive without giving up on life can still be seen today through these photos.
(Left) Busan Gukje Market, (Center, Right) People selling seafood
(Left) Women washing clothes by a brook, (Center) Woman playing the janggo (drum) and singing, (Right) Children selling fruits
After the war
After some of the Swedish medical personnel left Korea after the war, some of the UN member nations that provided medical support felt that the Korean medical system was on the brink of meltdown, and thus began discussions to tackle the issue.
Of the five UN nations that provided medical support, Sweden, Denmark and Norway decided to establish a general hospital in Seoul to treat patients and offer advanced medical education to restore the collapsed medical system of Korea. This hospital became the root of today's National Medical Center.
Swedish Hospital 202-13War Memorial of Korea
After making ties during the war, Sweden helped rebuild Korea's medical system, which was destroyed after the war. Sweden continued to help Korea implement advanced medicine. Korea will not forget this favor and should strive to become a country that can make sacrifices to help other countries as well.
* Rights to all data used in this story are reserved by the War Memorial of Korea.
Planning/Editing: Sohn Won-tae
Host: Jung Seo-hee
The War Memorial of Korea is a comprehensive museum on war and military history that collects, preserves, manages, and services various materials related to the history of the war in the Korean Peninsula. The War Memorial of Korea's Open Archive is offered to share historical resources with citizens. Check out more archive materials of the War Memorial at the Open Archive.
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