Korea’s Largest Heavy Ion Therapy Center, Equipped with State of the Art Technology and Spanning a Total Floor Area of 40,000 Square Meters

Overcoming Treatment Resistant Cancers Through the Introduction of a Multi Ion Beam System Using Not Only Carbon Ions but Also Helium, Neon, and Oxygen Ions

Groundbreaking Ceremony Held on Thursday the 11th with Attendance by Chairman Chung Mong-Joon of the Asan Foundation and Tsutomu Takeuchi of Toshiba

▲ Officials are participating in a groundbreaking ceremony for the Asan Medical Center Heavy Ion Therapy Center by performing a ceremonial first shoveling.

(From left) President & CEO Kyung-ku Chung of IPARK Hyundai Development Company, CEO Chang-kyu Lee of DK Medical Solutions, Executive Design Fellow Ko Isogimi of the Architectural Design Department at Nikken Sekkei, President Tsutomu Takeuchi of Toshiba, Chairman Chung Mong-Joon of the Asan Foundation, Songpa District Mayor Kang-seok Seo, Chairman Seong Wook Park of Asan Healthcare System, President Seung-Il Park of Asan Medical Center, and Si Yeol Song, Head of the Heavy-ion Therapy Implementation Development at Asan Medical Center.

Asan Medical Center, which treats one in eight cancer patients in Korea and provides care for 1.06 million cancer patients annually, has begun construction of a heavy ion therapy center to introduce the state of the art heavy ion therapy system.

Through the establishment of the Heavy Ion Therapy Center, Asan Medical Center aims to advance precision medicine tailored to patients with treatment resistant cancers and provide new treatment opportunities, contributing to the advancement of cancer care in Korea.

The Asan Medical Center Heavy Ion Therapy Center is scheduled to begin operations in 2031. The center will be built as a 12 story building with three basement levels and nine above ground floors, covering a total floor area of 39,502 square meters. It will be the largest heavy ion therapy center in Korea.

The facility will be equipped with state of the art systems manufactured by Toshiba of Japan, including two rotating treatment systems and one fixed beam treatment system. The construction of the Heavy Ion Therapy Center will be carried out by IPARK Hyundai Development Company, with supervision provided by HanmiGlobal.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Heavy Ion Therapy Center held on Thursday the 11th was attended by key officials from Asan Medical Center, including Chairman Chung Mong-Joon of the Asan Foundation, Chairman Seong Wook Park of Asan Healthcare System, President Seung-Il Park of Asan Medical Center, and Si Yeol Song, Head of the Heavy-ion Therapy Implementation Development at Asan Medical Center. Other attendees included Songpa District Mayor Kang-seok Seo, President Tsutomu Takeuchi of Toshiba, Executive Design Fellow Ko Isogimi of the Architectural Design Department at Nikken Sekkei, and President & CEO Kyung-ku Chung of IPARK Hyundai Development Company.

Known as a “dream cancer treatment,” heavy ion therapy is an advanced radiation therapy technique that accelerates ions such as carbon to nearly the speed of light and precisely delivers heavy ion beams to cancer cells. Compared with conventional radiation therapy, it offers two to three times greater destructive power while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues by targeting cancer cells more precisely. The therapy can be applied to difficult to detect cancers such as pancreatic cancer, as well as treatment resistant lung cancer, sarcoma, kidney cancer, and recurrent cancers, offering new hope for patients with challenging cancers.

Asan Medical Center’s heavy ion therapy system offers a wider irradiation field and higher dose rate (the amount of radiation delivered per unit time) compared with existing systems. This enables treatment of a larger area in a shorter period of time, significantly reducing the burden on patients.

In addition, the multi ion beam system, which utilizes various particles including not only carbon ions but also helium, neon, and oxygen ions, is expected to minimize damage to healthy tissues while effectively targeting treatment resistant tumors. It may also expand the application of heavy ion therapy to pediatric cancers.

Asan Medical Center will also introduce an image guided system using CT imaging equipment to precisely reflect changes in tumor size and location during treatment, enabling personalized patient tailored therapy.

▲ Asan Foundation Chairman Chung Mong Joon is delivering a congratulatory speech at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Asan Medical Center Heavy Ion Therapy Center.

Chairman Chung Mong-Joon of the Asan Foundation said, “Unlike in 1977, when my late father and late Chairman Chung Ju-yung, founder of the Asan Foundation established the foundation, medically underserved areas have virtually disappeared today. However, many patients are still suffering from difficult to treat diseases.”

He added, “I believe that introducing the heavy ion therapy system, which will provide hope to cancer patients with treatment resistant cancers who are waiting for new treatment options, is a continuation of my father’s vision and commitment.”

President Seung-Il Park of Asan Medical Center said, “Heavy ion therapy is one of the most effective forms of radiation therapy. Despite requiring a long construction period and significant investment, we decided to introduce the heavy ion therapy system to provide the highest level of cancer care.”

He added, “This will not only improve treatment outcomes for cancer patients but also serve as an important opportunity to further strengthen Asan Medical Center’s global competitiveness.”