Kyung Hee University Hospital Opens Space Medicine Center in South Korea

Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong opened South Korea's first Space Medicine Center on November 2, 2026. Sportschosun and Herald Business both reported that the new institute integrates infrastructure across medicine, dentistry, and Korean medicine to advance space healthcare technologies. [1][2]

The center conducts space-to-earth translational research to apply technologies developed for spaceflight to terrestrial healthcare, according to Sportschosun. Researchers aim to study extreme orbital conditions, including microgravity and space radiation, to find solutions for intractable diseases and support new drug development. [1]

Kyung Hee University is a private research university in South Korea that was founded in 1949. Space medicine is a specialty focused on preventing and treating medical conditions that could limit the success of space operations, providing care for astronauts and spaceflight participants. [3][4]

The initiative represents a collaboration with NASA to expand research into space medicine, Sportschosun reported. Hospital Director Lee Hyung Lae leads the facility as it steps up efforts to apply space-based findings to medical challenges on Earth. [1]