A Study on the Establishment and Operation of KoangHyoeNyoWon (Women's Hospital of Extended Grace) in Pyengyang

KoangHyoeNyoWon (廣惠女院, Women's Hospital of Extended Grace) was opened in Pyengyang in 1898. I looked into the process of the dispensary's establishment, and some of its medical service activities, its personnel and financial operations, and the history of the changes KoangHyoeNyoWon had undergone. KoangHyoeNyoWon was established in Pyengyang by the WFMS (Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society) to provide medical services for women as an independent medical enterprise. The first attempt to open a women’s clinic failed in 1894, but in 1898, KoangHyoeNyoWon began operations. It built a system of medical services in cooperation with Giholbyeowon (the Hall Memorial Hospital), which was another clinic established by the Methodist Church. In addition, it tried to extend the medical services not only to women and children, but also to the poor and the disabled; therefore, it had the characteristics of a social welfare center. These facts led KoangHyoeNyoWon to rely on the support of the WFMS. The WFMS had provided KoangHyoeNyoWon with manpower, personnel expenses, medicine, medical facilities, and fees for maintenance, fuel, insurance, etc. In addition, the WFMS had covered the cost of rebuilding and reequipping the dispensary. But Jahye Clinic, a colonial medical center, opened in 1910 and competed with KoangHyoeNyoWon, which explains why the dispensary for women had to make changes. By the 1910s, gender discrimination in Joseon had lessened and women were more likely to use hospitals such as Jahye Clinic and Giholbyeowon; at the same time, demands for KoangHyoeNyoWon to become financially independent increased as the financial situation of the WFMS deteriorated. By 1914, there was talk of closing KoangHyoeNyoWon. However, it began to seek solutions to overcome the crisis and to gain financial independence. Several attempts were made to improve medical facilities, support medical education to supply independent manpower, and diversify medical services. Gradually, KoangHyoeNyoWon became a maternity clinic and offered medical care in conjunction with other clinics. In the 1920s, KoangHyoeNyoWon was merged with other hospitals—Giholbyeowon (Methodist Church) and Caroline Memorial Hospital (Presbyterian Church). It resulted from the willingness of the missionary society in Joseon to build a large and strong Christian hospital in order to compete with the colonial and national hospitals that wereexpanding aggressively. As a result, KoangHyoeNyoWon became the women’s ward of the United Christian Hospital. Through the merger, women were able to receive better and more comprehensive medical services, making KoangHyoeNyoWon the best choice for women in need. Now it was time for the question of why and how there should be a women’s clinic.