요셉의원

The Joseph Clinic is a charity medical institution associated with the Catholic Social Welfare Society of Seoul that cares for the poor, sick, alienated and abandoned people of society.

The clinic is operated strictly through private donations without the support of the local and national government.

Under the ideology of“Caring for the poor and helpless patients with the love of Christ and providing the best assistance for their self-support , the late Sunwoo KyungShik opened the Joseph Clinic in Shillim-dong on 29th August 1987 which has since relocated to the current building in Yeongdeungpo in 1997. The clinic celebrated its 30th anniversary of operation on 29th August 2017.

The clinic has 20 medical departmentssuch as internal medicine, dentistry, etc. and is offering free medical treatment for 100 patients a day on average(average 24,000 patients annually) also provides free prescription services.

The clinic operates rehabilitation programs such as music therapy for mental healing as well as serving free meals, baths, clothing, haircuts and shelter.

The Joseph Clinic established the “Philippines Joseph Clinic” in Malabon City in the Philippines in January 2013 to practice abroad the clinic’s mission of “the best free medical care for the poor".

Eligible Persons

Homeless Those without medical insurance Refugees and illegal aliens who have been in the country for over 3 months Other patients left out in the medical welfare coverage

Departments

Internal medicine (digestive, respiratory, heart, endocrine, kidney), Surgeries (general, breast), Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, Otolaryngology, Dermatology,Urology, Ophthalmology, Radiology, Orthopedic, Rehabilitation medicine, Pain clinic, Dentistry, Oriental Medicine, Physical therapy Clinical pathology, Radiation, Gastroscopy (non-sleep) and ultrasound Special checkups such as CT scan, MRIs are referred to the cooperative hospitals.

Treatment Departments can change according to the medical staff.
Please check the doctors’ schedule for details.

Operating Hours

Day time : 13:00~17:00 Evening time : 19:00~21:00 Break time : 15:00~15:30 Receipt time : until 20:00

Treatment Procedure

• Visit and first
  counsel

• Confirmation
  of treatment
  target

• Basic
  examination

• Start
  treatment

Persons who want to see a doctor at the Joseph Clinic must first confirm if they are eligible for treatment (Monday to Friday 13:00~16:00) at the social services team on the first floor.

A.A(Alcoholic Anonymous) Meeting
Every Tuesday : 16:30~17:30, Every Friday : 19:30~20:30 ∥ Library on the 4th floor

Music Therapy Humanities lectures
Every Thursday : 13:00~15:00 ∥ Library on the 4th floor

Film Forum
2nd Wednesday of every month : 13:00~17:00 ∥ Library on the 4th floor

Consultation on Alcohol Dependence
Every Tuesday : 19:00~20:00 ∥ Lounge on the 4th floor

Legal Advice
4th Friday of every month : 19:00~21:00 ∥ Lounge on the 4th floor

Library and Lounge
Monday to Wednesday, Friday : 13:00~17:00, Tuesday : 13:00~16:00 ∥ Library and Lounge on the 4th floor

Free Meal
Every Thursday : 15:00~17:00 ∥ Dining room on the 1st floor

Support for a Serious Case(nutritional supplements/nutritious meal)
At any time : In case of a serious situation

Providing Daily Necessities(clothes, food, etc.)
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday : 13:00~17:00 ∥ 1st door

Haircut Service
Every Tuesday : 13:00~15:00 ∥ Lobby on the 1st floor

Bath Service
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday : 14:00~17:00 ∥Bath room on the 1st floor

Funeral Service for Someone Without Family In case of death
Funeral hall at the Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital

Mokdong's House is a 'halfway house' which is an intermediate housing facility where patients who have no place to go or need outpatient treatment after receiving service at the Joseph Clinic. This facility can be used by patients to stay and prepare for rehabilitation for a short time (1 to 6 months), and is operated free of charge.

< Late Sunwoo KyungShik >
The late Dr. Sunwoo KungShik was the founder and first representative director of the Joseph Clinic after graduating from the Catholic University of Medicine. In the early 1980’s when he completed his medical studies in New York and worked as the director of the internal medicine department at the National General Hospital, he felt the need to establish a permanent hospital for the poor while providing medical services at a free weekend clinic in the poverty stricken hillside area in Shillim-dong.

Working with those who had the same ideology at that time, Dr. Sunwoo opened the Joseph Clinic in Shillim-dong in 1987. People around him were worried "How can he operate a free hospital?", "Can he maintain it for more than 3 months?" However, he had led the hospital community for over 21 years by sharing the joy and sorrows with the poor and neglected neighbors until his death in April 2008. Dr. Sunwoo, who was a devout Catholic, returned to God’s side on 18th April 2008 after fully devoting himself to treating and helping the under privileged and needy without ever getting married.

After the death of Dr. Sunwoo who was once called the “Schweitzer of Yeongdeungpo”, the government bestowed him the posthumous honor of civil merit and the camellia medal for his dedicated and hard work.