3 Korean hospitals ranked among world’s top 10 cancer centers. Here’s who made the list

Three South Korean hospitals were ranked among the world’s top 10 cancer hospitals in a list released Wednesday by Newsweek, a US-based weekly news magazine.

They are Samsung Medical Center, Asan Medical Center and Seoul National University Hospital, all located in Seoul. Seoul National University Hospital placed second globally in urology, Samsung Medical Center ranked third in oncology, and Asan Medical Center earned top-10 placements in six of the 12 cancer specialties evaluated.

Newsweek's “World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2026” ranking covers the 12 specialties from oncology, endocrinology and gastroenterology to orthopedics and is based on an online survey of medical professionals in more than 30 countries.

South Korean hospitals excelled in oncology, in particular.

Samsung Medical Center ranked third in oncology, following the US' Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas.

Asan Medical Center followed in fourth place, while Seoul National University Hospital was placed eighth.

Given that this year’s top 10 cancer hospitals in oncology comprised four from the US, three from South Korea, and one each from France, the UK and Canada, the outcome highlights the nation’s emergence as a global leader in the field, not just the success of individual institutions.

Samsung Medical Center opened its cancer hospital in 2008 as the largest cancer-dedicated building in Asia, and has pioneered cutting-edge treatments such as CAR-T cell therapy and precision oncology.

Beyond oncology, Korean hospitals secured high positions in several other specialties.

Asan Medical Center ranked in the global top 10 across six medical fields — fourth in endocrinology and gastroenterology, sixth in both neurology and urology, and eighth in orthopedics.

Seoul National University Hospital ranked second worldwide in urology, following the Cleveland Clinic in the US, and also placed fifth in endocrinology. Severance Hospital came in ninth in orthopedics.

The number of hospitals assessed in the survey varied by specialty, ranging from at least 125 to as many as 300. In oncology, where Korean hospitals excelled, 300 institutions were ranked.