S. Korea’s medical tourism continues double-digit growth

SEOUL – Foreign card spending on medical services in South Korea jumped 66.5 per cent in July from a year earlier, extending a rapid expansion in the country’s medical tourism industry.Foreign nationals spent 213 billion won (S$197 million) on medical services and related products during the month, according to credit card-based data from the Korea Tourism Organization.The increase follows annual growth of 65 per cent in 2025 and 78.6 per cent in 2024, suggesting the field is becoming a larger part of South Korea’s inbound tourism economy.Beyond beauty, beyond AsiaSouth Korea has long been known for plastic surgery and dermatology, particularly among visitors from nearby places such as China, Japan and Taiwan.In July, dermatology accounted for 54.9 per cent of medical spending on foreign cards, while plastic surgery made up another 19.3 per cent.Ban Jun-seop, president of the Korean Association of Plastic Surgeons, said foreign patients account for as much as 70 per cent of some plastic surgery clinics’ clientele.But spending patterns show signs of diversification. The share of spending at pharmacies, for example, rose from 5 per cent in March 2025 to 12.7 per cent in July. Data from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute also shows demand spreading across a wider range of specialties and nationalities.US nationals accounted for 24.1 per cent of foreign patients who received health checkups in 2025, while patients from Mongolia and Kazakhstan featured prominently in other specialties.“Patients from Japan, Taiwan, China, Singapore and Thailand tend to show a strong preference for dermatology and plastic surgery, while those from Kazakhstan, Canada and Mongolia often come to Korea for treatment of serious diseases such as cancer,” a Korea Health Industry Development Institute official said.“Demand for treatment of serious diseases alone amounts to around 60,000 to 70,000 patients a year.”Taking medical tourism beyond SeoulThe boom remains overwhelmingly concentrated in Seoul. In July, the capital accounted for 86.8 per cent of total medical-related spending on foreign cards. Busan ranked second with just 6.4 per cent.That concentration has become a concern for local governments seeking to use medical tourism to encourage longer stays and generate additional spending at local businesses.Experts say regions with fewer major medical institutions may be better off focusing on wellness and healthcare rather than trying to replicate Seoul’s medical tourism model.Daegu, which ranked first outside the Seoul metropolitan area in the number of medical tourists in 2019, did not make the top five regions in terms of medical-related spending in July.“It is practically impossible to distribute medical institutions across the country when they are already concentrated in Seoul,” Yoon Ji-hwan, a tourism professor at Kyung Hee University, told local media.Yoon said Seoul could continue to focus on surgeries and procedures, while other regions develop healthcare tourism centered on wellness and traditional Korean medicine.He said that would be a more realistic way to spread medical tourism beyond the capital. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK