Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
Myongji Hospital chief elected as new leader of Int'l Hospital Federation
Lee Wang-jun, chairman of Myongji Hospital / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Bahk Eun-ji
Lee Wang-jun, chairman of Myongji Hospital in northwestern Seoul, has been elected president of the International Hospital Federation (IHF), becoming the second Korean to lead the global organization, which represents hospitals and healthcare associations.
The Korean Hospital Association announced Tuesday that Lee was chosen during the IHF’s 48th World Hospital Congress held in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday (local time). His two-year term will run from 2027 to 2029. Until then, he will serve in the federation’s six-year executive leadership cycle, a decision-making group consisting of current, former and incoming presidents.
Founded in 1929 and headquartered in Geneva, the IHF is a nonprofit organization representing more than 30,000 hospitals and 70 national hospital associations worldwide. It also serves as an official partner of the World Health Organization. Korea joined the federation in 1966, and Kim Kwang-tae served as the first Korean to serve as IHF president from 2013 to 2015.
Lee pledged to increase participation in Asia and Africa, stating that he wanted to make the federation “a truly inclusive and globally diverse organization.” He also said that he would strengthen international collaboration on sustainability, digital healthcare and artificial intelligence.
The IHF’s next World Hospital Congress is set to take place in Seoul in October 2026. Lee described this as “an opportunity to showcase Korea’s innovation and resilience in healthcare to the world.”
Lee is known for reviving a bankrupt hospital during the 1997 financial crisis and has led Myongji Hospital since 2009, steering responses to H1N1, MERS and COVID-19 outbreaks.