Vice President for Medical Affairs Yoo Kyung-ha Elected 43rd President of the Korean Hospital Association N
- Date2026.04.14
- 425
First Female President in the Association’s 67-Year History
Two-Year Term from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2028
Yoo Kyung-ha, Vice President for Medical Affairs and President of Ewha Womans University Medical Center, was elected as the 43rd President of the Korean Hospital Association at its 67th General Assembly held on April 10 at the COEX Grand Ballroom. Her election marks the first time in the association’s 67-year history that a woman has assumed the presidency, and also the first time a physician affiliated with Ewha Medical Center has taken the top position, drawing significant attention both within and beyond the medical community.
President-elect Yoo will begin her term on May 1 and serve as the 43rd President of the Korean Hospital Association through April 30, 2028.
She stated, “I believe the expectations of the hospital community, which is eager for change and innovation, were reflected in this election. I will humbly dedicate myself with all my heart to the advancement of the hospital sector, striving to build a Korean Hospital Association that promotes a healthy public, earns trust, and leads the future.”
In particular, she presented five key priorities to guide the future of the association: mutual growth, strengthening regional, essential, and public healthcare, trust-centered management, AI (artificial intelligence) innovation, and globalization. To realize this vision, she pledged to establish a Presidential Committee for Mutual Cooperation, hold regular regional meetings, and launch a Healthcare AI Strategy Bureau. She also aims to ensure the successful hosting of the “2026 World Hospital Congress” in Korea and to promote the globalization of the Korean healthcare model.
President-elect Yoo added, “At a time when numerous issues have surfaced in the aftermath of the major upheaval in healthcare policy, the role of hospital leaders is more critical than ever. I will turn this crisis into an opportunity to address longstanding challenges in the hospital sector.”
Meanwhile, Yoo Kyung-ha, Vice President for Medical Affairs and President of Ewha Medical Center, is a specialist in pediatrics and a leading authority in pediatric oncology and hematologic oncology. She graduated from Ewha Womans University College of Medicine and earned both her master’s and doctoral degrees in medicine from the same institution. She previously served as Director of Planning and Coordination and later as President of Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, and has been leading Ewha Medical Center since 2020.
During her seven-year tenure as President of Ewha Medical Center, she achieved outstanding management performance despite unprecedented crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and conflicts in the healthcare sector. She has continuously communicated with patients, staff, and medical professionals, and introduced innovative management models through specialized hospitals, including Ewha Women’s Cancer Hospital, Ewha Urology Hospital, Ewha Hematologic Cancer Hospital, Ewha Cerebrovascular Hospital, Ewha Aortic and Vascular Hospital, and Ewha Mother and Baby Hospital.
In recognition of these achievements, she has received numerous awards, including the Dong-A Hospital Management Award from the Seoul Hospital Association, the “Hospital CEO of the Year for Patient Communication” from the Korean Medical Bio Journalists Association, and the 2025 Teddys Awards “Hope and Inspiration Award.”