Germany

Although not a member of the United Nations at the time, in May 1953, two months before the ceasefire, Germany notified the U.N. headquarters of its intent to set up a field hospital in South Korea to support U.N. soldiers participating in the Korean War.

While the equipment was still being shipped, the Armistice Agreement was signed in July of 1953. The German Red Cross modified their plans and built a regular hospital instead of a field hospital. The 250-bed hospital in Busan opened on May 17, 1954. The hospital provided 117 medical professionals each year from May 1954 to March 1959. In five years the German medical staff treated more than 270,000 Koreans, performed 16,350 operations, and helped close to 6,000 expectant mothers give birth. The hospital also established education and training programs for Korean nurses, contributing to the advancement of medicine in South Korea.