Gyeonggi Province Holds “2026 Gyeonggi International Medical Industry Briefing” to Lead the Global Medical Industry

On January 22, Gyeonggi Province held the “2026 Gyeonggi International Medical Industry Briefing” at Planet Gyeonggi Hall in the Gyeonggi Library, with around 100 representatives from major medical institutions in the province in attendance.

The briefing was organized to share the achievements of projects carried out in 2025 and to jointly explore new project plans and strategic directions for 2026 through public–private cooperation.

In opening remarks, a Gyeonggi Province official emphasized that “as of 2024, the global medical services market is valued at approximately KRW 16,000 trillion, which is more than 40 times the size of the rapidly emerging global AI market (KRW 390 trillion).” The official added, “The medical industry is a high value-added sector with guaranteed continuous growth in an aging society. It is both a new future growth engine and a field capable of leading the Gyeonggi brand image.”

Since launching its international medical services initiative in 2009, Gyeonggi Province has produced remarkable results based on 18 years of accumulated expertise and a global network. In fact, approximately 51,000 foreign patients visited Gyeonggi Province in 2025 alone, ranking second nationwide after Seoul in terms of patient attraction.

In particular, the relatively high proportion of critically ill patients, who tend to have longer stays than patients with minor conditions, is being evaluated as providing tangible benefits to revitalizing the local economy.

According to the “2026 Project Implementation Plan” announced at the briefing, Gyeonggi Province plans to designate Central Asia, specifically Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, as key target regions this year. The strategy includes strengthening government-to-government (G2G) cooperation with local governments in those countries and expanding training programs that invite local medical professionals, thereby building the “Medical Gyeonggi Network.”

In addition, the province plans to diversify overseas marketing support to lower barriers for local medical institutions seeking to expand abroad.

During the Q&A session, participants agreed on the need for customized marketing strategies that take local regulations and cultural characteristics into account, and pledged to cooperate as a unified “One Team” between the public and private sectors.

A Gyeonggi Province official stated, “The competitiveness of medical industry in Gyeonggi province is already at a global level.” The official added, “We will continue to listen closely to voices from the field and implement effective support policies so that medical institutions in the province can fully demonstrate their capabilities on the global stage.”