Hypertension Seoul 2025, hosted by the Korean Society of Hypertension, was held at the Conrad Hotel in Seoul, South Korea, from November 6 to 8, 2025. During the first day’s session, titled “Meet the Editor Session: Issues and Changes in Scientific Publication,” I delivered a presentation as Associate Editor of Hypertension Research on strategies to broaden hypertension research. The session highlighted current challenges in scientific publishing, including the use and ethical considerations of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, as well as authorship issues such as ghost authorship.

Presentations were given by Rhian M. Touyz, Editor-in-Chief of Hypertension; Mitsuaki Sawano, Executive Associate Editor of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC); and Wook Bum Pyun, Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Hypertension. This was followed by an open discussion with young Korean researchers, who raised many questions about the difficulties of using AI. The exchange deepened our discussion on practical methods and essential considerations for integrating AI into literature review, information gathering, and manuscript drafting.

Meanwhile, South Korea has shown a steady year-to-year improvement in blood pressure control. Recent Fact Sheets [1] report control rates exceeding 60% among older adults. Although multiple factors likely contribute, this progress appears to reflect sustained efforts such as the annual publication of national statistics, early adoption of low-dose combination therapy, and active public awareness initiatives. Interestingly, despite the growing interest in wearable blood pressure monitors, the uptake of home blood pressure monitoring has not progressed as rapidly. This contrast suggests notable differences in hypertension management between Korea and Japan, making the discussions at the conference particularly insightful. Considering these regional differences, I believe ongoing collaboration between Hypertension Research and Clinical Hypertension will be increasingly important for advancing hypertension care across Asia.

On the third day, I presented a lecture titled “Hypertension and Dementia: Preventing the Next Crisis in Asia” within the symposium “Hypertension in Older Adults: Common and Difficult Problems.” Other speakers included Dr. Athanasios Benetos from France and Drs. Kwang-Il Kim and Jung-Yeon Choi from Seoul National University. Together, we engaged in an in-depth discussion on hypertension and orthostatic hypotension in older adults, addressing key considerations in elderly hypertension management and its distinct clinical characteristics.

In Asia, salt intake is high, population density is substantial, and rapid aging continues to accelerate. This meeting reaffirmed the importance of Japan and South Korea working together to address challenges unique to Asia, including shared genetic backgrounds, mechanisms of hypertension, treatment approaches, management strategies, and complications. Meaningful, ongoing collaboration between our countries has great potential to drive significant progress. Lastly, I must confess I succumbed to the allure of Korea’s deliciously spicy cuisine.