Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Jeon Jae-soo) announced that the integrated health and medical event "KOMED 2026," sponsored by the city and organized together with citizens and the medical community, will take place from October 23 to 25 at BEXCO Exhibition Center 1.

The upcoming event comprises three major programs: the "KOMED 2026 Regional Medical Decentralization Forum," the "K-Medi Fair," and "KIMES BUSAN 2026." It aims to explore ways to advance regional healthcare while showcasing a diverse range of medical services and cutting-edge medical technologies to the public.

In particular, with strengthening regional, essential, and public healthcare and establishing a regionally self-sufficient medical system as its core agendas, the event is expected to serve as a meaningful communication platform where the medical community, academia, industry, and citizens can discuss the future of regional healthcare together.

The "KOMED 2026 Regional Medical Decentralization Forum" will be held under the theme "The Future of the Republic of Korea Reshaped by Regionally Self-Sufficient Healthcare" at 10:30 a.m. on October 23 at the Special Stage in Hall 2B, BEXCO Exhibition Center 1.

This forum has been prepared to share the central government's policy directions and the challenges faced by local medical fields, and to seek practical cooperative measures, in order to build a regionally self-sufficient medical system where necessary medical services can be provided in a timely manner within the region.

In Part 1 of the keynote presentations, Son Young-rae, Director General for Regional, Essential, and Public Healthcare at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, will present the government's policy implementation directions and strategies for strengthening regional healthcare under the theme "Strategies for Strengthening Regional, Essential, and Public Healthcare." Following this, Yang Jae-wook, President of Inje University Busan Paik Hospital, will present on the role of local medical institutions and cooperative measures under the theme "Regionally Self-Sufficient Healthcare Completed by the Power of the Region." Lastly, Bae Jang-hwan, head of the Cardiovascular Intervention Research Center at Good Samsun Hospital, will present measures to secure the sustainability of the regional healthcare system under the theme "Sustainable Regionally Self-Sufficient Healthcare."

In Part 2 of the focused discussion, Cho Won-ho, Dean of the Pusan National University School of Medicine, will serve as the moderator under the theme "Self-Sufficient Healthcare Protecting the Region." Cho Gyu-yul, Director General of the Citizens' Health Bureau of Busan City; Kim Sae-rom, Professor of Preventive Medicine at the Inje University College of Medicine; and Ok Jin-ah, Director of Onji Prolotherapy Clinic, will participate to examine the realities and challenges of regional healthcare, and deeply discuss ways to resolve essential medical service gaps, enhance cooperation among medical institutions, and build a region-centric medical service delivery system.

In addition, the "K-Medi Fair" will feature various programs operated by regional university hospitals and specialized hospitals, allowing citizens to experience firsthand the importance of health management.

By operating health management programs helpful for daily life—including health checkups, provision of medical information, health consultations, and medical experiences—the fair aims to expand opportunities for communication between regional medical institutions and citizens.

Through this, the city plans to promote the excellent medical capabilities of regional medical institutions, raise citizens' interest in health, and encourage the practice of proper health management.

Furthermore, "KIMES BUSAN 2026," a specialized medical device exhibition, will also be held to showcase cutting-edge medical technologies and the latest trends in the medical industry, such as medical artificial intelligence (AI), digital healthcare, medical imaging and diagnostic equipment, and hospital facilities, all in one place.

It is expected to contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of the regional medical industry by expanding information exchange and cooperation opportunities between medical device companies, medical institutions, and other related industries.

Detailed information and participation methods regarding the event can be found on the official KOMED 2026 website (www.komedbusan.kr).

Cho Gyu-yul, Director General of the Citizens' Health Bureau, stated, "Regionally self-sufficient healthcare is a core task of regional medical care that ensures citizens receive necessary medical services in a timely manner right where they reside," adding, "We hope that this 'KOMED 2026' will serve as an opportunity for the government and the regional medical community to seek solutions for regional healthcare together, and for Busan to lead the establishment of a regionally self-sufficient medical system."

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