South Korean medical institutions expand AI and digital healthcare R&D

South Korean medical and research institutions are significantly expanding their involvement in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital healthcare through various national projects and international contracts.

Under the ‘Korean ARPA-H Project,’ several institutions have been selected for high-value research. Gachon University is developing a pain management platform for the elderly, while Chungnam National University Hospital is working on the ‘KoreaHealth.ai’ platform to enable AI agents to manage clinical tasks. Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital is also participating in projects to build AI-based cancer management networks and digital healthcare systems.

In the pharmaceutical sector, K-MEDI Hub has increased its participation in AI-driven drug discovery projects to 74.16 billion KRW, focusing on identifying and verifying drug candidates. Additionally, EzCaretech has been selected to lead a national project to develop AI cloud-based hospital information systems for public medical institutions.

Technological advancements are also appearing in specialized clinical tools. Bit Computer launched ‘Medigent AI’ to assist with medical insurance claims, and researchers at S-Pohang Hospital developed AI to improve the accuracy of X-ray analysis following spinal surgery. Furthermore, Kyungpook National University has secured funding for research into autonomous construction robots and plant-derived cancer treatments.