Loan Support of 100 Billion Won in Policy Funds for 94 Emergency Medical Institutions in Non-Metropolitan and Underserved Areas

Low-Interest Loans at 1–2% Per Year:
Five-Year Grace Period with Ten-Year Amortized Repayment


Comprehensive Funding Support:
From Facility Improvements to Staff Salaries and Debt Refinancing

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on August 2, 2026, that it will temporarily provide 100 billion won in long-term, low-interest policy funds this year to 94 emergency medical institutions located in non-metropolitan areas and regions with limited access to emergency medical services.

Ministry of Health and Welfare Sejong Government Complex. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

This loan support is intended to aid emergency medical institutions facing management difficulties. Eligible institutions include regional emergency medical centers, local emergency medical centers, and local emergency medical institutions designated under the Emergency Medical Services Act. A region with limited access to emergency medical services refers to any of the 98 cities, counties, or districts where more than 30% of the population cannot reach a local emergency medical center within 30 minutes or a regional emergency medical center within one hour.

The loan ceiling is set at 4 billion won per regional emergency medical center, 2 billion won per local emergency medical center, and 1 billion won per local emergency medical institution. The loans are offered at a fixed annual interest rate of 2%, with a five-year grace period and a ten-year repayment schedule. For institutions located in regions with limited emergency medical services, the interest rate is reduced to 1% per annum.

The loans can be broadly used for improving emergency room facilities and replacing equipment, covering operational expenses such as medical staff salaries, and refinancing existing loans from financial institutions.

The Ministry accepted applications from June 10 to July 3, 2026, from non-metropolitan regional emergency medical centers, local emergency medical centers, and local emergency medical institutions in regions with limited access to emergency medical care. After internal and external committee evaluations, the final recipients were selected. A total of 18.2 billion won was allocated to nine regional emergency medical centers (an average of 2 billion won per center); 44 local emergency medical centers, including seven in medically underserved regions, received 44.9 billion won (an average of 1 billion won per center); and 41 local emergency medical institutions, all in regions with limited access, received 36.9 billion won (an average of 900 million won per institution).

The selected institutions can receive loans after review at KB Kookmin Bank branches, which have been designated as the loan handling bank, starting from August 2026.

Junggyu Lee, Director of Public Health Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "We hope that this loan support will help alleviate management difficulties for non-metropolitan emergency medical institutions and serve as a catalyst for stabilizing essential healthcare infrastructure. We will continue to work toward reducing disparities in regional healthcare and strengthening support so that all citizens can receive timely emergency medical services, wherever they are."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.