Newsweek Announces World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2026: Ten KIMA Member Hospitals Recognized

On September 10 (local time), U.S. current affairs weekly Newsweek released its World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2026 rankings, with ten member institutions of the Korea International Medical Association (KIMA) earning places on the list. This achievement once again underscores the global standing of Korean healthcare.

Conducted in collaboration with global data research firm Statista, the annual ranking highlights leading hospitals worldwide across 12 medical fields. The specialties assessed include cardiac surgery, cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, neurology, neurosurgery, oncology, orthopedics, pediatrics, pulmonology, urology, and obstetrics & gynecology.

In particular, Korea demonstrated remarkable strength in oncology: three Korean hospitals were ranked among the global top 10 in this category, second only to the United States (four hospitals). France, the United Kingdom, and Canada each had one institution listed.

The evaluation is based on three pillars of data:

1. International online survey of medical experts

2. Accreditation data

3. PROMs (Patient-Reported Outcome Measures) Implementation Survey

The scope of the rankings includes: the top 300 hospitals in cardiology and oncology; the top 250 in pediatrics; the top 150 in cardiac surgery, endocrinology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, and orthopedics; and the top 125 in neurosurgery and urology. This year, the number of ranked hospitals in neurology and obstetrics & gynecology was expanded to 150 and 125, respectively.

The following KIMA member hospitals were included in the World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2026, listed in alphabetical order:

· Asan Medical Center

· Ewha Womans University – Seoul Hospital

· Severance Hospital – Yonsei University

· Hanyang University – Seoul Hospital

· Korea University – Anam Hospital

· National Cancer Center

· Samsung Medical Center

· Seoul National University – Bundang Hospital

· Seoul National University Hospital

· The Catholic University of Korea – Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital

A KIMA representative stated, “This recognition highlights the outstanding expertise and international competitiveness of our member hospitals. KIMA will continue to work with its members to further promote the excellence of Korean healthcare worldwide.”