"Is it the Provincial Office?" Seo Jang-hoon startled by the 'million-doctor' who hosts a top-5 domestic hospital and a 'world's 7th best physician'

*This content was translated by AI.

Ha Chung-sik, the 'doctor millionaire' who built a 1,008-bed general hospital starting from just four beds, will appear on 'Seo Jang-hoon's Millionaire Next Door.' The program will reveal the secret behind bringing a world-renowned physician ranked 7th globally to Changwon, as well as his success story that overcame discrimination.

In the second season of EBS1's 'Seo Jang-hoon's Millionaire Next Door,' airing at 9:55 p.m. on the 3rd, the tumultuous life story of Ha Chung-sik, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist and owner of the massive general hospital Lee (President) in Changwon, Gyeongnam, unfolds.

When MC Seo Jang-hoon visited Ha Chung-sik's hospital, he was unable to hide his surprise upon facing the overwhelmingly imposing building, exclaiming, "Is this the Provincial Office?" Meanwhile, Jang Ye-won repeatedly expressed her amazement, saying, "I didn't know there was such a large hospital in Changwon."

It is no wonder, as the hospital currently spans from three basement levels to nine above-ground floors, with a workforce of approximately 3,000 employees. Ha Chung-sik further revealed, "We are planning to purchase an additional 5,000 pyeong of land in May 2025 to construct a dedicated cancer hospital." Once the cancer hospital is built, the total scale will expand to a staggering 70,000 pyeong, elevating the facility to a top-five level in South Korea by size, leaving everyone speechless.

As Seo Jang-hoon and Jang Ye-won embarked on a full-scale hospital tour, Ha Chung-sik said, "There is someone I really want to introduce," and guided them to a specific individual. The person in question is Kim Myeong-hwan (Prof.), a world-renowned authority in the field of pancreas and biliary tract diseases, who was named one of the '100 Best Physicians in Korea' selected by EBS in 2007. Notably, he was ranked 7th among 6,767 pancreas specialists across 63 countries worldwide for his research achievements in autoimmune pancreatitis. In response, Seo Jang-hoon asked, "Usually, such famous doctors are in Seoul. How did you come to Changwon?" Kim Myung-hwan then explained the reason for his unconventional move: "After retiring, I received numerous recruitment offers from hospitals. However, the gap between the metropolitan area and local regions in Korea's medical reality is severe. I deeply resonated with Ha Chung-sik (Chairman)'s goal of nurturing regional medicine, which led me to decide to come to Changwon."

Ha Chung-sik did not dream of becoming a doctor from the start. With no specific career plans during his childhood, he chose to enroll in medical school in the 1980s, a time when the preference for medical education was not as high as it is today, without much hesitation. At the time, his parents ran a brewery, which was considered a symbol of wealth, so the family enjoyed a comfortable financial status.

However, he revealed that after starting his medical career, he experienced unexpected discrimination and humiliation during his intern and resident years, sparking curiosity. Ha Chung-sik recalled, "There is a saying, 'If you feel wronged, strive for success.' I vowed to build a large and excellent hospital that no one could ignore." Subsequently, in 1994, he opened an obstetrics and gynecology clinic in a 'shop-in-shop' format by leasing four beds within a hospital that had over 100 beds. Through persistent challenges and expansion, he finally realized his long-held dream in 2021 by constructing a general hospital with 1,008 beds. The identity and reasons behind the discrimination he faced can be confirmed through the broadcast.

Ha Chung-sik's dramatic life journey can be seen on 'Seo Jang-hoon's Millionaire Next Door' at 9:55 p.m. on the 3rd.

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*This content was translated by AI.