Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
AMCHAM calls for predictable health care policies to boost innovation
AMCHAM Chairman James Kim, front row seventh from left, and participants of the Healthcare Innovation Seminar 2026 pose during the event in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of AMCHAM
By Nam Hyun-woo
The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) called Thursday for predictable, globally aligned health care policies to improve patient access, encourage innovation and attract global investment.
The call came at the Healthcare Innovation Seminar 2026, hosted by AMCHAM in Seoul. About 150 government officials, business leaders and health care experts from Korea and the United States attended the 17th annual event.
Under the theme “From Reform to Execution: Building a Predictable Healthcare Innovation Ecosystem,” participants discussed how Korea can translate health care reforms into tangible outcomes while creating a more innovation-friendly regulatory environment.
The discussions came amid ongoing Korea-U.S. talks on regulatory competitiveness and nontariff barriers. Participants stressed predictable policy implementation, alignment with global standards and closer public-private cooperation as key to strengthening Korea’s competitiveness in health care.
The agenda focused on three areas: implementing pharmaceutical pricing reforms announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in late 2025, strengthening Korea’s vaccine ecosystem and establishing policy pathways for artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled healthcare and precision medicine.
“Korea has made meaningful progress on healthcare reform. The priority now is to translate that progress into tangible results through implementation that is predictable and transparent, expands patient access and supports continued innovation,” AMCHAM Chairman James Kim said.
“Pricing reform, vaccines and AI will play a central role in shaping the future of healthcare in Korea,” Kim said, adding that closer U.S.-Korea cooperation could create opportunities by combining U.S. innovation and global experience with Korea’s talent, infrastructure and technology.
Lee Man-hee, chair of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, said health care policies and systems must evolve alongside medical advances, emphasizing the importance of cross-border cooperation.
Lee Hyung-hoon, second vice minister of health and welfare, said improving treatment access, strengthening health security and boosting the competitiveness of Korea’s biohealth industry through regulatory reform are government priorities.
He said the national health insurance system will shorten reimbursement listing timelines for rare disease treatments and strengthen outcomes-based value assessments.
The vaccine session focused on life-course immunization, vaccine innovation and preparedness for future public health challenges. Jung Tong-ryoung, director-general of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s Department of Healthcare Safety and Immunization, said Korea needs to move beyond a childhood-focused vaccination system as its population ages.
The final session examined AI-enabled health care and precision medicine. Speakers called for regulatory frameworks that maintain high standards while accommodating rapidly advancing technologies.
Participants agreed that transparent policy implementation, globally aligned regulations and closer public-private cooperation are essential to expanding patient access and supporting sustainable growth in Korea’s healthcare sector.