The Department of Biomedical Engineering at Seoul National University College of Medicine was established on January 1, 1986, as the first independent department of biomedical engineering within a medical school in Korea, six years after the Department of Biomedical Engineering was established at Seoul National University Hospital. Although biomedical engineering-related education had already been offered to some extent within the College of Medicine, the establishment of an independent department provided a foundation for more systematic education and research.

As the first biomedical engineering department established within a medical school in Korea, the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Seoul National University College of Medicine has played a pivotal role in laying the foundation for biomedical engineering education and research in the country. Its establishment also helped pave the way for similar departments at other medical schools nationwide, while contributing to the academic development of biomedical engineering and the establishment of a structured educational system in Korea.

The Department has also continuously promoted interdisciplinary education and collaborative research across academic boundaries through close cooperation with the College of Engineering. It played a leading role in establishing and operating the Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Engineering, and today continues to expand interdisciplinary education and research spanning medicine, engineering, and the life sciences through the Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering.

Today, the Department provides undergraduate and graduate education on the engineering principles underlying medical devices and advanced medical technologies. Through education that integrates medicine and engineering, it trains the next generation of physician-scientists and biomedical engineering researchers. In close collaboration with Seoul National University Hospital, a wide range of clinical departments, basic medical science departments, the College of Engineering, and research institutions in Korea and abroad, the Department conducts research in emerging areas of medical technology, including artificial intelligence, digital healthcare, medical devices, and biomaterials, while leading translational research from basic science to clinical application.

Building on more than four decades of accumulated research and educational excellence, the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Seoul National University College of Medicine remains committed to becoming a world-class institution for biomedical engineering education and research that drives future innovation in healthcare.