KIMES 2026 Wraps Up with Success… Record-Breaking Scale with 75k Visitors and $450 million in Export Consultations

- Largest-ever scale with 1,490 manufacturers from 41 countries showcasing 39,000 products and technologies - Domestic consultations reached 2.3 trillion KRW

SEOCHO-GU, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, April 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The 41st International Medical Hospital & IT Equipment Show, ‘KIMES 2026,’ has successfully concluded, marking the largest scale in its history.
Co-hosted by Korea E&EX (CEO: Jeong-jo Kim), the Korea Medical Devices Industrial Cooperative Association (Chairman: Young-gyu Lee), and the Korea Medical Devices Industry Association (Chairman: Young-min Kim), the exhibition was held for four days from the 19th to the 22nd across the entire COEX halls in Samseong-dong, Seoul.

This year’s KIMES 2026 spanned an exhibition area of 45,000 square meters, featuring 1,490 manufacturers from 41 countries (846 domestic and 644 overseas). They showcased approximately 39,000 products and technologies covering the entire medical spectrum, including medical imaging diagnostics, physical therapy, rehabilitation, prevention, skincare, beauty care, and medical IT.

The exhibition achieved significant results across various indicators, including the number of participating companies and visitors, as well as export consultation performance. It significantly elevated its status as a global AI medical business hub by hosting its first-ever official keynote in its 46-year history, alongside the GMEP export consultation meeting, Medical Korea, the INSPIRE and BEAUTY & DERMA special pavilions, and medical academic conferences.


■ Meaningful Business Results: 75,000 Visitors, 2.3 Trillion KRW in Domestic and $450 Million in Export Consultations

Over the four days of KIMES 2026, a total of 75,003 domestic and international visitors attended, including 5,464 overseas buyers. These numbers represent an approximately 3.4% increase compared to the previous year (72,507), marking the largest attendance on record.

The overall business performance during the exhibition totaled 2.3 trillion KRW in domestic sales and $450 million in export consultations. In terms of actual contracts, the figures reached 280 billion KRW for domestic deals and $170 million for exports.

The ‘Global Medical Equipment Plaza 2026 (GMEP 2026),’ held in collaboration with KOTRA, celebrated its 13th year with 370 domestic companies and 176 overseas buyers—the largest participation to date. Amidst high interest in medical devices integrating AI, robotics, and digital technology, export contracts worth $40 million were signed through over 2,000 consultations with buyers from Germany, Australia, Brazil, Vietnam, and more—a 49% increase from the previous year.

‘Medical Korea 2026,’ hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and organized by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, also broke records with 7,071 global healthcare stakeholders from 47 countries.

The newly introduced business roundtable featured government and corporate representatives from Ukraine and the U.S., laying the foundation for cooperation with institutions seeking to enter the local market. The international patient attraction meeting saw 26 buyers from 16 countries and 141 domestic institutions participate in 641 consultations, resulting in 97 Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs). In the medical overseas expansion export consultation meeting, 12 overseas buyers from 6 countries and 31 domestic companies held 130 business meetings, successfully concluding 9 export contracts worth approximately $5.3 million.


■ Expanded Programs: First Official Keynote in 46 Years and Special Pavilions

Most notably, the first official keynote in the event’s 46-year history, titled “First Pulse: AI in Healthcare,” drew significant attention. On the opening day (19th), six representative AI leaders took the stage to share visions on the paradigm shift in healthcare: Byung-tak Zhang (Director at Seoul National University Hospital), In-hyuk Choi (CEO of Naver), Hee Hwang (CEO of Kakao Healthcare), Jong-min Choi (VP at Samsung Electronics), Byung-hwi Suh (VP at Amorepacific), and Gyu-hyuk Jang (Senior Staff Engineer at Google DeepMind).

The two expanded special pavilions also garnered intense interest:

* INSPIRE Digital Healthcare Pavilion: This pavilion tripled in size from the previous year, featuring 51 startups and innovative companies in medical AI, digital healthcare, wearables, and data analysis. The ‘INSPIRE Open Stage’ provided practical business touchpoints through sessions on startup investment, cybersecurity, and AI applications in the beauty and senior industries.

* BEAUTY & DERMA Seoul by KIMES: Following its debut last year, the exhibition space was expanded 1.5 times. 84 companies showcasing skin care devices, skincare products, fillers, and laser equipment participated, highlighting the global competitiveness of the K-Beauty medical aesthetics field.

At the ‘Medicomtek (Medical Device Components & Materials Technology Exhibition)’ held in COEX Hall D, 58 companies specializing in electrical/electronic components, medical polymers, and precision motors/optical modules introduced core hardware technologies. Additionally, various medical policy seminars and academic conferences served as platforms for knowledge sharing among practitioners, researchers, and corporate officials seeking global expansion.

Jeong-jo Kim, CEO of Korea E&EX, remarked, “KIMES 2026 has once again proven its role as a core global platform that showcases the advanced AI medical ecosystem to the world based on South Korea’s excellent IT infrastructure. KIMES will continue to complete a global MICE model where technology, investment, and policy are organically combined, positioning itself as a key platform for the sustainable growth of the Korean medical industry—from discovering startups to pioneering overseas markets.”

Lee Hye Jeong
Communications Korea
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