Talent flocks to Wonju, a hub for the medical device industry
Talent flocks to Wonju, a hub for the medical device industry

WONJU, Gangwon Province — The 22nd Gangwon Medical Equipment Show, or GMES 2026, wrapped up in Wonju, the hub city of the central inland region, posting the event's largest-ever export performance.

Gangwon Province and the Wonju city government said Thursday that the exhibition — jointly hosted by the two authorities and co-organized by the Wonju Medical Device Industry Promotion Foundation, KOTRA's Gangwon Regional Office and the National Health Insurance Service — secured $40.55 million in export contracts, the largest in the show's history.

The figure far exceeded the initial target of 36.3 billion won ($26.9 million), a mark the show had already surpassed on its opening day.

Export contract values have risen steadily over the past five years — from $17.55 million in 2022 to $20.64 million in 2023, $24.69 million in 2024, $36.14 million in 2025 and $40.55 million this year.

Key products under contract this year included skin-care devices, AI-based body composition analyzers and hyperbaric oxygen therapy devices.

Organizers attributed the results to a range of export support programs run alongside the exhibition — including pre-event online export consultations and one-on-one company-buyer matching — which strengthened cooperation between companies and buyers and helped translate that cooperation into actual export contracts.

Companies representing Gangwon Province's medical device industry took part, drawing strong interest from overseas buyers. They included Neo Biotech (founded in 2000, dental equipment), BIO Protech (2000, electrocardiogram sensors), Mediana (1995, patient monitoring devices) and CU Medical Systems (2001, defibrillators). Promising companies also took part, including IBEX Medical Systems (2011, hyperbaric oxygen therapy devices), which showcased its technology. The company recently received the IR52 Jang Young-sil Award, the country's top honor for technology development.

The show also hosted a medical device regulatory affairs forum to help companies respond effectively to fast-changing overseas regulations and trade conditions. Organizers invited experts on regulatory approval and clinical research from the United States, Europe and Japan — Korea's major export markets — to share regulatory systems and market-entry strategies through simultaneous interpretation. The sessions drew high praise from participating companies.

A special pavilion designed like a model home, called the Smart Medi Home zone, let visitors experience firsthand how medical devices can be used in everyday life.

A discount promotion linked to seven local companies drew large crowds of general visitors, giving the exhibition both business-to-business and business-to-consumer dimensions.

Launched in 2006, GMES is one of Korea's leading medical industry exhibitions, drawing more than 100 overseas buyers from some 30 countries each year.

Gangwon Province Governor Woo Sang-ho said, "GMES is our province's flagship stage, showcasing the global competitiveness of Gangwon's medical device industry, and I thank the local companies that achieved these record results." He added, "We will continue to spare no support to help GMES grow into a world-class medical device exhibition."


abc@heraldcorp.com