Seoul, Republic of Korea – The Korean Herbalist Association (President Lim Chae-yoon) successfully hosted the "2025 Korean Herbalist Association - China Medical University of Taiwan Academic Exchange" from 10 AM to 1 PM on Wednesday, May 21. The exchange saw the participation of 15 individuals, including professors, undergraduate students, and research doctors from the Department of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences and Resources at China Medical University, a leading traditional medicine education institution in Taiwan. The event facilitated in-depth information exchange and active discussions on the traditional medicine systems and industries of both countries.

Taiwan's China Medical University Delegation Shows Deep Interest in Korea's Herbalist System
The Taiwanese delegation consisted of 9 undergraduate students, 3 Ph.D. researchers, and 3 professors, including the Chairman and Professor, and the Head of Department and Professor. China Medical University is widely recognized as a representative institution in the field of Chinese medicine, pioneering the integration of traditional and modern medicine in Taiwan. In particular, the university conducts in-depth research and education in the field of Chinese pharmaceutics, playing a crucial role in the development of Taiwan's traditional medicine industry.

Over the past three years, the Korean Herbalist Association has maintained continuous communication with the Taiwanese government, medical organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and universities, engaging in extensive discussions across policy, industry, and education in the traditional medicine sector. This academic exchange is considered a very significant meeting, extending these efforts. In his welcoming remarks, Lim Chae-yoon, President of the Korean Herbalist Association, expressed sincere gratitude to the China Medical University delegation for their deep interest in Korea's healthcare system and herbalist system. He hoped that the meeting would serve as an opportunity to deepen institutional understanding and mutual goodwill between the two countries.

Highlighting the Professionalism of Korea's Herbalist System and Confirming Similarities with Taiwan

During the exchange, Kim Sung-yong, Chairman of the Academic Committee of the Korean Herbalist Association, gave a detailed presentation on the formation and development of the Korean herbalist system, as well as its institutional role and professionalism. Kim particularly elaborated on the unique functions performed by herbalists as experts in quality control of raw herbal medicinal materials and sensory inspection of imported herbal medicines. This emphasized the herbalist's distinct role, which goes beyond simply dispensing herbal medicines, by integrating pharmaceutical expertise with traditional knowledge.

Kim also noted that the structure where graduates from Taiwan's Department of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences and Resources advance as experts responsible for the distribution and quality of herbal medicines bears considerable similarity to Korea's herbalist system, indicating that a consensus on this point naturally formed among the attendees. At this juncture, the Taiwanese delegation's interest and questions were concentrated, deepening the comparison and mutual understanding between the two systems from a practical perspective. This suggests that experts in traditional medicine from both countries share similar concerns and goals, enhancing the potential for future cooperation.

Active Q&A and Spirited Discussions Enhance Mutual Understanding

Professor Jang Mun-deok, Head of the Department of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences and Resources at China Medical University, who led this visit, previously visited Korea in 2024 for an exchange with the Korean Herbalist Association. Professor Jang emphasized that "Taiwan's Chinese pharmaceutical system has many commonalities with Korea in terms of fostering quality control experts based on traditional knowledge." He expressed gratitude, stating that "it was very meaningful for the students to directly observe and experience the system through this visit."

During the exchange, the Taiwanese side actively participated with in-depth questions and lively discussions on Korea's healthcare policy structure and industrial system. In particular, spirited discussions on various topics, including the herbal medicine distribution management system, quality evaluation standards, and the division of roles by profession, exceeded the scheduled time. The Taiwanese delegation showed deep interest in Korea's herbal medicine management system, related laws, and the division of roles among herbalists and other herbal medicine-related professions, which is expected to serve as important reference material for Taiwan's traditional medicine policy formulation and institutional improvement. These in-depth discussions were a time for both countries to recognize the common challenges faced in the traditional medicine field and to confirm the necessity of mutual cooperation to address them.

Solidifying International Cooperation Networks and Exploring Future Development Directions

Through this exchange, the Korean Herbalist Association had an important opportunity to once again promote the institutional identity and professionalism of Korean herbalists to the international community. This meeting also served to further solidify the connection of the Korea-Taiwan traditional medicine cooperation network.

The Korean Herbalist Association plans to continue international exchange activities to enhance mutual understanding in various fields such as policy, education, and industry, and to jointly explore the modern role of traditional medicine. This is expected to contribute to jointly considering the direction traditional medicine should take in the rapidly changing modern medical environment and thereby promoting the value of traditional medicine worldwide. In particular, by informing the international community that the expertise of herbalists can contribute to the advancement of herbal medicine quality control and distribution systems, it is expected to play an important role in further enhancing the status of the Korean herbalist system. This academic exchange holds great significance in that it laid a strong foundation for future traditional medicine development, beyond just academic and institutional exchanges between the two countries.