Korean Medicine's Excellence, Reaffirmed by the World

11 KIMA Member Hospitals Ranked in Newsweek's 2026 Best Specialized Hospitals Asia-Pacific

July 2026 | Korea International Medical Association (KIMA)

In the 'Best Specialized Hospitals Asia Pacific 2026' rankings, published by the renowned international newsmagazine Newsweek in partnership with global research firm Statista, 11 member hospitals of the Korea International Medical Association (KIMA) were ranked across 10 medical specialties, including cardiology, oncology, gastroenterology, neurology, and orthopedics. The results once again confirm that Korean medicine delivers clinical excellence recognized well beyond the Asia-Pacific region.

The evaluation covered 925 hospitals across 11 Asia-Pacific countries, including Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, and India, and was based on a combination of global surveys of medical professionals, international accreditation status, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). The 10 specialties assessed were cardiac surgery, cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, neurology, neurosurgery, oncology, orthopedics, pediatrics, and pulmonology. KIMA reviewed the complete ranking list for every specialty (from position 1 through each category's cutoff of 50 to 125) to compile this report.

Six Leading Korean Hospitals Ranked Across All 10 Specialties

Asan Medical Center, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Severance Hospital, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, and SNU Bundang Hospital all ranked in every one of the 10 specialties evaluated. Among them, Asan Medical Center ranked #1 in the Asia-Pacific region in five specialties - cardiac surgery, cardiology, endocrinology, neurology, and orthopedics - earning more first-place rankings than any other hospital in this year's evaluation.

Samsung Medical Center took first place in three specialties - oncology, gastroenterology, and pulmonology - while Seoul National University Hospital ranked #1 in pediatrics, and Severance Hospital placed second in both neurosurgery and orthopedics. In addition, Korea University Anam Hospital was ranked across 9 specialties and Hanyang University Medical Center across 5, while Ewha Seoul Hospital, Ewha Mokdong Hospital, and the National Cancer Center each earned a ranking as well - demonstrating that excellence in Korean medicine is both broad-based and evenly distributed.

A Trustworthy, Evidence-Based Evaluation

These rankings were not self-reported by the hospitals. They were calculated from objective data, including international surveys of medical professionals, international accreditations such as JCI, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). International patients planning treatment in Korea can use these results as a reliable reference for choosing a trusted hospital by specialty or condition.

Find the Right Hospital by Condition

Find the specialty or condition you need treatment for below. Hospitals in each category are listed in order of their Asia-Pacific ranking.

Cancer (Oncology)

•     Samsung Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #1

•     Asan Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #2

•     Seoul National University Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #3

•     Severance Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #7

•     Seoul St. Mary's Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #11

•     SNU Bundang Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #13

•     National Cancer Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #15

•     Korea University Anam Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #65

•     Hanyang University Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #93

Heart Disease (Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery)

•     Asan Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #1 in both Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery

•     Seoul National University Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #2 in Cardiology

•     Samsung Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #3 in Cardiology

•     Severance Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #10 in Cardiology

•     SNU Bundang Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #20 in Cardiac Surgery

•     Korea University Anam Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #65 in Cardiac Surgery

Diabetes, Thyroid & Endocrine Disorders

•     Asan Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #1

•     Seoul National University Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #2

•     Samsung Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #3

•     Severance Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #4

•     Seoul St. Mary's Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #6

•     Korea University Anam Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #19

•     Hanyang University Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #26

Digestive & Liver Disease (Gastroenterology)

•     Samsung Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #1

•     Asan Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #2

•     Seoul National University Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #7

•     Seoul St. Mary's Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #8

•     Severance Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #23

Neurological Disorders (Non-Surgical Treatment)

•     Asan Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #1

•     Samsung Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #5

•     Seoul National University Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #6

•     Severance Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #7

•     SNU Bundang Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #11

•     Hanyang University Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #43

•     Korea University Anam Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #73

Brain & Spine Surgery (Neurosurgery)

•     Severance Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #2

•     Seoul National University Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #10

•     Asan Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #12

•     Samsung Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #13

•     Korea University Anam Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #55

Joint, Spine & Orthopedic Care

•     Asan Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #1

•     Severance Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #2

•     Seoul National University Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #4

•     Samsung Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #7

•     SNU Bundang Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #26

Lung & Respiratory Disease (Pulmonology)

•     Samsung Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #1

•     Asan Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #2

•     Seoul National University Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #3

•     Severance Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #4

•     SNU Bundang Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #25

•     Hanyang University Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #61

•     Seoul St. Mary's Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #70

Pediatric Care

•     Seoul National University Hospital (Seoul National University Children's Hospital) - Asia-Pacific Rank #1

•     Asan Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #5

•     Seoul St. Mary's Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #17

•     Severance Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #18

•     Korea University Anam Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #19

•     Ewha Seoul Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #21

•     Hanyang University Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #33

•     Samsung Medical Center - Asia-Pacific Rank #42

•     Ewha Mokdong Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #72

•     SNU Bundang Hospital - Asia-Pacific Rank #105

About KIMA

The Korea International Medical Association (KIMA) is a non-profit association whose members are leading medical institutions in Korea. KIMA supports international patients seeking medical care in Korea, offering guidance on appointments, interpretation, hospital navigation, and stay arrangements related to medical tourism.

For inquiries and consultations, please use the 'Contact Us' menu on the KIMA website, or refer to each hospital's individual profile page, where that institution's contact details and further information are provided.