June 19, 2026
SEOUL – South Korean hospitals topped nine of the 10 specialties evaluated in Newsweek’s latest Asia-Pacific hospital rankings, with Asan Medical Center, Samsung Medical Center and Seoul National University Hospital leading multiple categories.
According to Newsweek’s “Best Specialized Hospitals Asia-Pacific 2026” rankings released Wednesday, Asan Medical Center ranked first in five specialties: cardiology, cardiac surgery, neurology, endocrinology and orthopedics.
Among the hospitals included in the evaluation, Asan Medical Center recorded the highest number of first-place rankings. The hospital also ranked second in oncology, pulmonology and gastroenterology, fifth in pediatrics and 12th in neurosurgery, placing within the top five in nine specialties overall.
The rankings, compiled by Newsweek in partnership with market research firm Statista, evaluated 925 hospitals across 11 Asia-Pacific countries: South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Samsung Medical Center ranked first in oncology, pulmonology and gastroenterology. The hospital said it has maintained the top position in oncology and pulmonology for three consecutive years since 2024 and also ranked first in gastroenterology, which was evaluated for the first time this year.
In pediatrics, Seoul National University Hospital placed first in the Asia-Pacific region.
Newsweek said the rankings were based on an online survey of more than 8,000 health care professionals, as well as national health care performance indicators and patient-reported outcome measures.
Park Seung-il, president of Asan Medical Center, said the hospital had gained global recognition while leading the treatment of severe diseases.
“We will continue to advance our severe-disease-centered treatment system to protect patient safety and provide high-quality medical care,” he told local media.
Separately, Asan Medical Center said it placed within the global top 10 in six specialties in Newsweek’s “World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2026” rankings, as the only South Korean hospital to do so.