In 2025, Korea received 2,087,400 international patients. Almost nine in ten were treated in Seoul.
Every hospital in Seoul. Not one has paid for the privilege.
An independent guide to medical treatment in Korea for those coming from abroad, with every hospital and clinic in Seoul drawn from the government’s own records.
19,934 points of light, one for each hospital and clinic. Drawn from HIRA open data, as recorded on 24 October 2026. International patients by region in 2025: Seoul 87.2%, Busan 3.8%, Gyeonggi 2.7%, Jeju 2.3%, Incheon 1.3%, Daegu 1%, from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.
Most of Seoul’s medicine is practised in small clinics.
54% of these points are clinics (의원), each devoted to a single speciality. It is there that visitors from abroad are chiefly seen: in 2025, 87.7% of international patients were treated at clinic level.
- 2.01M
- international patients treated in Korea in 2025
- 87.2%
- of whom were treated in Seoul
- 62.9%
- of speciality visits were for dermatology
Points: HIRA open data, as recorded on 24 October 2026. Figures: Ministry of Health and Welfare, foreign patient statistics for 2025.
- 10,740Clinics의원
- 4,945Dental치과
- 3,807Korean medicine한방
- 403Hospitals병원
- 39Public & other보건소·기타
Treatments
In order of the number of international patients each speciality received in 2025, from the official statistics. The numbers are the official ranks: general surgery, ninth, has no guide of its own, and the two guides without a rank are not counted as specialities.
- 01 Dermatology & Skin Care 피부과 Laser, skin-booster and pigmentation treatments: by some distance the most common reason visitors from abroad come to Korea. Read the guide in full
- 02 Plastic Surgery 성형외과 Eyelid, nose, facial contouring and body procedures, with sound counsel on planning, recovery and safety. Read the guide in full
- 03 Internal Medicine 내과 Digestive, heart, hormone and lung conditions, from a single consultation to the investigation of a long-standing illness. Read the guide in full
- 04 Health Check-ups 건강검진 Comprehensive screening at hospital check-up centres: what is included, and how the results reach you. Read the guide in full
- 05 Korean Medicine 한방 Acupuncture, herbal medicine and Korean medicine hospitals, a distinct and separately licensed profession in Korea. Read the guide in full
- 06 Dental Care 치과 Implants, crowns, veneers, orthodontics and whitening, and how a course of treatment is planned and timed. Read the guide in full
- 07 Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Fertility 산부인과 Gynaecological consultations, screening and surgery, and fertility treatment, with the Korean law that governs it. Read the guide in full
- 08 Eye Surgery & Vision Correction 안과 LASIK, LASEK, SMILE, lens implants and cataract surgery, with the tests that decide suitability and what recovery asks of you. Read the guide in full
- 10 Orthopaedics 정형외과 Joints, bones, spine and sports injuries, from diagnosis and injections to arthroscopy and joint replacement. Read the guide in full
- — Hair Transplant & Hair Loss 모발이식 FUE and strip methods, medical treatment for hair loss, and what the first months ought to look like. Read the guide in full
- — Cancer & Serious Illness 중증질환 Second opinions, diagnosis and treatment for cancer, heart disease, stroke and rare conditions in Korea’s major hospitals. Read the guide in full
Before you book
Four stops, taken in the order most people find they need them.
- 1 Understand the costs 비용 How Korean clinics arrive at their prices, what a proper written quotation ought to include, and how to compare like with like.
- 2 Find a hospital 병원 찾기 Hospitals and clinics from the government’s own records, beginning with Seoul, listed in plain order and never for payment.
- 3 Satisfy yourself it is safe 안전 확인 Confirm the clinic’s registration and the doctor’s licence, and learn to recognise the unregistered broker.
- 4 Plan the journey 일정 Medical visas, how long to remain for recovery, and the official help lines that will answer in your own language, free of charge.
Where patients are seen
Four places where international patients are treated, from Seoul’s clinic quarters to Busan and Jeju.
- Seoul Gangnam 강남 The densest gathering of dermatology, plastic surgery and dental clinics in the country. Explore Gangnam
- Seoul Myeongdong & Jung-gu 명동 The heart of visiting Seoul, with dermatology clinics a short walk from the principal hotels. Explore Myeongdong
- Busan Busan 부산 Korea’s second city, and the fastest-growing destination for international patients beyond the capital. Explore Busan
- Jeju Jeju 제주 An island where some visitors pair a check-up or treatment with an unhurried recovery. Explore Jeju
Our undertakings
Given in writing, and kept.
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No hospital money.
We sell no rankings, no featured listings and no referrals. No clinic can pay to appear, to rise, or to be spoken of kindly.
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Official sources.
Every guide names the government source on which it relies, and the date on which it was last checked.
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No reviews for sale.
We publish neither treatment testimonials nor before-and-after photographs.
Sources
- Korea Health Industry Development Institute — 2025 International Patient Statistics Report (외국인환자 유치실적 통계분석 보고서)
- Ministry of Health and Welfare — 2025 foreign patient statistics (released 24 Apr 2026)
- HIRA Hospital Information Service — public data portal (KOGL Type 1)
- Medical Korea (KHIDI) — registered foreign-patient institutions and support
Last reviewed on 25 October 2026. See our editorial policy.