Dr. Choe Gawon takes the stage at the ‘2026 World Chuna Festival’ as a TMJ (TBT) master demonstrator
— a lecture and chuna demonstration, followed by an appreciation plaque

On September 7, 2026, the ‘2026 World Chuna Festival’ was held at the AMBASSADOR SEOUL A Pullman Hotel in Seoul. Under the theme “See chuna up close, experience it, and connect it to the world,” it was co-hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Seoul Tourism Organization and the Seoul Association of Korean Medicine, and was run for 69 overseas buyers invited from 19 countries around the world, who saw and experienced Korean chuna firsthand.

The day was filled with a morning fam tour of Seoul Korean-medicine clinics, an afternoon academic conference and a Master Demonstration by experts, a chuna experience zone, and a posture-balance check program. Dr. Choe Gawon of Sandol Korean Medicine Clinic was invited as a master demonstrator for the TMJ (TBT) field, giving a lecture and a chuna demonstration.

The jaw — one of three axes that balance the body

In his lecture, Dr. Choe introduced the three sensory axes involved in keeping the body balanced — the contact between the feet and the ground, the horizon perceived by the eyes, and the bite and jaw — and explained how the jaw, among them, is connected to whole-body posture. From the standpoint of TMJ balancing medicine, the balance of the jaw carries through to the cervical spine and whole-body posture, and on to the nervous system.

Chuna demonstration on stage — a ‘3-Point close-up demonstration’

The festival's demonstrations were run as a ‘3-Point close-up demonstration,’ with chuna beds placed on the stage, at the center of the audience and at the rear, so participants could observe the practitioner's fine hand movements from close range. Dr. Choe demonstrated TMJ chuna technique in person, showing the process of adjusting the balance of the jaw.

The demonstrations that shared the stage introduced a range of techniques from domestic chuna experts — craniosacral and LAS therapy (Dr. Park Su-ho, Bonsuho Korean Medicine Clinic), seated-posture and thoracic correction (Dr. Park Jae-hyun, Kyunghee Bareun Korean Medicine Clinic), and spinal-nerve chuna (Dr. Ki Seong-hoon, Nuridam Korean Medicine Clinic). Spanning the jaw to the spine, the demonstrations vividly showed participants how chuna is used in actual practice.

Two paths that lead to care

In his lecture, Dr. Choe also introduced how TMJ balancing medicine is applied in actual practice. He explained, with cases, the clinic's two care pathways — a single-day intensive visit (One Day) and one-to-three-week inpatient care — depending on the patient's condition, showing how an academic perspective is realized in the consulting room.

An appreciation plaque — Korean chuna, introduced on an international stage

As the event closed, Dr. Choe received an appreciation plaque for his contribution as a master demonstrator. This World Chuna Festival was held as an occasion to widen a new area of Seoul's medical tourism, amid growing interest in Korean medicine and wellness that has spread on the back of K-culture. Following the festival, the Seoul International Travel Mart for Medical Tourism (SITMMT 2026) took place on September 8–9, with consultations continuing with overseas buyers.

Sandol Korean Medicine Clinic will continue to refine its clinical experience in TMJ balancing medicine and chuna into the language of scholarship, sharing it at home and abroad, while in the consulting room carrying it forward as care that examines the jaw and the whole body together.