Three South Korean Hospitals Rank among Cancer Elite

Three South Korean hospitals were ranked among the top 10 in the world for cancer care, according to U.S. news weekly Newsweek.

On Sept. 10, Newsweek released its “World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2026” rankings across 12 clinical fields. In the cancer category, Samsung Medical Center in Seoul ranked third, following the U.S. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the U.S. MD Anderson Cancer Center. Seoul Asan Medical Center placed fourth, and Seoul National University Hospital came in eighth. Among the top 10 cancer hospitals, four were in the United States, three in South Korea, and one each in France, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

South Korean hospitals also performed strongly in other medical specialties. Seoul Asan Medical Center ranked among the global top 10 in six fields, including gastroenterology, endocrinology, neurology, urology, and orthopedics. Samsung Medical Center was among the top 10 in three areas, including gastroenterology and urology. Seoul National University Hospital ranked second in urology, just behind the U.S.-based Cleveland Clinic. Severance Hospital placed ninth in orthopedics.

However, no South Korean hospitals were ranked within the top 50 in obstetrics and gynecology. In pediatrics, only Seoul National University Hospital, ranked 11th, approached the top 50. In cardiac surgery, four South Korean hospitals were ranked within the top 150.


박경민 mean@donga.com