Asan Medical Center has achieved the highest rating in U.S. news magazine Newsweek's assessment of environmentally sustainable hospitals, placing it among an elite group of 36 institutions worldwide.
Asan Medical Center announced on August 7 that it received the top "five leaves" rating in Newsweek's "World's Greenest Hospitals 2026" evaluation, released on August 6 (local time). Rather than assigning numerical rankings, the assessment categorizes facilities using a leaf-count sustainability system, with five leaves representing the highest level of environmental achievement. Newsweek awarded 36 hospitals globally this top grade without designating a separate 1-to-36 numerical order.
In South Korea, four hospitals—Asan Medical Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, Samsung Medical Center, and Severance Hospital—earned the five-leaf distinction. Out of 11 healthcare facilities in the Asia-Pacific region to receive the top rating, Japan had one: Fujita Health University Hospital.
Asan Medical Center was also recognized in a separate category of excellence, "Sustainable Infrastructure". Only 24 hospitals globally were selected for this designation, including two in South Korea: Asan Medical Center and Samsung Medical Center.
Comprehensive ESG Framework Drives Waste and Carbon Cuts
Newsweek conducted its inaugural green-hospital assessment in partnership with German market research firm Statista. The scoring combined environmental performance metrics—including greenhouse gas emissions, energy usage, and water consumption—with sustainability certifications, institutional goals, reporting transparency, and expert recommendations.
In 2021, Asan Medical Center established an ESG committee, becoming the first general hospital in South Korea to do so. Built around environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and transparent management, the hospital has progressively integrated ESG principles across its daily operations.
Key initiatives have focused on curbing medical waste and reducing carbon emissions. The hospital strengthened waste separation and disposal protocols, expanded the collection of single-use materials and liquids, and launched energy-conservation campaigns alongside facility upgrades involving high-efficiency inverters, boilers, and cooling units.
As a result of these measures, medical waste management costs in 2023 fell by approximately 4.9% compared to the previous year, while greenhouse gas emissions dropped by roughly 3.6%. To ensure long-term accountability, the hospital established 23 detailed performance indicators across its ESG pillars. These environmental management efforts have earned repeated national recognition, with Asan Medical Center named an outstanding hospital in 2023 and the top-performing hospital in 2024 in evaluations conducted by South Korea’s Ministry of Environment and the Korea Environment Corporation.
