Amcham discusses Korea’s medical challenges at 16th Healthcare Innovation Seminar

Parcitipants at the 16th Healthcare Innovation Seminar hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (Amcham) pose for a photo during the event at Shilla Seoul on Sept. 18. Third from the left, Director General Lee Jung-kyu at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Deputy Chief of Mission James Heller at the U.S. Embassy Seoul, Amcham Chairman & CEO James Kim and Health & Medical Policy Expert Advisor Cho Won-jun of the Democratic Party’s Policy Committee [AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN KOREA]

 
The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (Amcham) held its 16th Healthcare Innovation Seminar on Thursday, attended by more than 150 participants, including officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, global healthcare executives and industry experts.
 
This year’s seminar, titled “Proposal for the New Government – Driving Healthcare Innovation through Sustainable Regulatory Pathways,” addressed Korea’s healthcare challenges such as aging, digital transformation and pandemic preparedness, while also highlighting opportunities for Korea-U.S. cooperation.
 
 
Amcham Chairman and CEO James Kim stressed the need for close collaboration between the public and private sectors.  
 
“Advancing policy reforms that foster innovation, particularly in pricing and reimbursement, will be critical not only to ensuring patient access to life-saving medicines in Korea, but also to strengthening Korea’s role as a global leader in biotechnology,” said Kim.
 
In a written congratulatory message, Health Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong reaffirmed the government’s vision of positioning Korea among the world’s top five biohealth nations.
 
“To achieve meaningful advances in areas such as innovative medicines, biosimilars, and advanced regenerative therapies, we will accelerate regulatory reforms, expand R&D and public investment, and build stronger global networks to ensure the resilience of healthcare supply chains,” Jeong said.
 
Lawmaker Kim Yoon of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee also emphasized the importance of government-industry collaboration to build a sustainable healthcare ecosystem.
 

Parcitipants listen to keynote speeches at the 16th Healthcare Innovation Seminar hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (Amcham) at Shilla Seoul on Sept. 18. [AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN KOREA]

 
In the first session, Democratic Party senior policy advisor Cho Won-jun outlined the new administration’s healthcare agenda. A panel discussion followed, moderated by Song Young-joo, Senior Advisor at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC, with participants from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Eli Lilly Korea, Intuitive Surgical Korea and the National Assembly. The panel examined the balance between innovation and patient access.
 
Industry executives also presented strategies for healthcare innovation. Moderna Korea Senior Country Medical Director Kim Hee-soo highlighted mRNA research, while Vantiv’s Kuljinder Singh discussed home-based healthcare trends.  
 
Samsung Bioepis’s head of external relations, Kim Jung-wook, called for policies that support the broader adoption of biosimilars. Marian Mendoza of UPS Healthcare emphasized the importance of resilient global supply chains.
 
The event concluded with a second panel discussion on policy alignment and public-private cooperation, chaired by Ewha Womans University professor Ahn Jeong-hoon, also a member of the Prime Minister’s Committee of Bio Health Innovation.
 
Now in its 16th year, the Amcham seminar has become a key annual platform for Korea-U.S. healthcare cooperation, according to Amcham. This year’s partners included Eli Lilly, Moderna, MSD, Pfizer, Vantiv, Intuitive Surgical, Samsung Bioepis and UPS Healthcare.
 
 

BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]