Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** This article highlights Hyundai Meditech’s evolution from a suture manufacturer to a global medical device leader in Wonju, showcasing its expanding portfolio in HA fillers, skin boosters, and bio-based products.
Starting as a suture manufacturer, Hyundai Meditech has expanded its business to include hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers, skin boosters, exosomes, and PDRN-based bio products, gaining recognition for its competitiveness in the global market. The company currently produces a diverse range of products including PDO and PLLA sutures, HA fillers, skin boosters, adhesive wound dressings, exosome and PDRN-based medical devices, and cosmetics. With the rapid growth of the medical aesthetics and regenerative medicine markets, the company is accelerating the development of next-generation biomaterials.
Since establishing its corporate-affiliated research institute in 2011, the company has invested over KRW 1 billion annually in R&D, accumulating significant technological expertise. It is currently developing skin boosters, wound dressings, and functional cosmetics using stem cell-derived exosomes, and is actively researching sutures and skin regeneration products incorporating plant-derived PDRN.
In 2013, the company obtained CE certification for PDO sutures, laying the foundation for entry into the European market. It subsequently secured international quality certifications including MDSAP, ISO 13485, and KGMP. Currently, Hyundai Meditech is pursuing EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR) certification to prepare for further global market expansion.
Hyundai Meditech’s export performance has grown steadily. Starting with the US$1 million export tower in 2017, it won the US$3 million tower in 2022 and the US$5 million tower in 2023. Although it experienced temporary difficulties due to the global economic downturn, the company is showing a clear recovery through new market development and product diversification.
Quality-centered management is another key strength. Since medical devices are directly related to human life, the company operates all processes—from R&D and production to quality control and post-market surveillance—in accordance with international standards. It has established a virtuous cycle system where quality data from the production floor is fed back into R&D, enhancing product reliability. This quality management system has become a core competitive advantage in gaining trust from overseas clients.
Hyundai Meditech is also active in sharing its growth with the local community. Over the past three years, it has consistently hired professionals in R&D, production, quality control, and regulatory affairs, contributing to local job creation. The company has signed industry-academia agreements with Catholic Kwandong University and Yonsei University’s Mirae Campus, engaging in joint research and talent development. It is recognized for strengthening the medical device industry ecosystem and playing a positive role in helping young talent settle in the region.
Corporate social responsibility efforts are also ongoing. In 2023, the company joined the Gangwon Sharing Premium Company program and donated KRW 100 million. It has also contributed to the Yonsei University College of Nursing development fund, supported educational equipment for Korea Polytechnic University, and sponsored local welfare facilities. Cumulative donations have exceeded KRW 215 million.
29 years of dedicated technological expertise, quality competitiveness recognized in the global market, and a management philosophy of growing together with the region. The Gangwon Business Grand Prize reflects both an evaluation of Hyundai Meditech’s journey and expectations for its future leadership in Wonju’s medical device industry. Moving forward, Hyundai Meditech is leaping forward as a global medical device company representing Gangwon, realizing the twin pillars of technological innovation for the world and regional economic development.
