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Philips Korea head recognized for medical AI regulatory push
Philips Korea CEO Choi Nak-hoon / Courtesy of Philips Korea
By Lee Kyung-min
As governments and industry leaders race to establish guardrails for artificial intelligence (AI) in health care, Philips Korea CEO Choi Nak-hoon has been recognized for helping connect global regulatory discussions with Korea’s rapidly evolving medical device sector.
Choi received a commendation from the commissioner of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety during the 19th Medical Devices Day ceremony, Philips Korea said Sunday. Choi was recognized for his contributions to the development of the medical device industry and the advancement of public health.
The company said Choi played a key role in expanding international regulatory cooperation in the field of AI-powered medical devices through AIRIS 2025, an international symposium on AI medical product regulation jointly organized by the ministry and the World Health Organization in 2025.
According to Philips Korea, Choi oversaw participation by both Philips headquarters and its Korean operations in the event, helping facilitate exchanges between global and domestic stakeholders on emerging regulatory frameworks for AI in health care.
The company also said it supported the participation of Pat Baird, a senior regulatory leader at Philips, as a speaker at the symposium.
Philips Korea also helped create opportunities for dialogue between international experts and Korean regulatory specialists, allowing participants to discuss global trends in AI medical device regulation and standards, as well as practical experiences from the industry.
The recognition comes as Philips Korea marks its 50th anniversary this year.
The company said it plans to use the occasion as a springboard to strengthen cooperation with health care providers in Korea and contribute to the sustainable growth of the medical device sector and the broader adoption of responsible innovation.
“This award is a meaningful result that once again highlights the importance of cooperation between industry and regulators in the fields of AI and digital health,” Choi said.
“We will continue contributing to the creation of a medical device ecosystem where safety and innovation are balanced and to the responsible expansion of new technologies,” he said.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.