National Institute for Korean Medicine Development Successfully Holds "Training to Strengthen Capabilities in Attracting Foreign Patients"

Over 270 Practicing and Prospective Doctors Participate
Sharing Practical Know-how for Attracting Foreign Patients

The training program to strengthen capabilities in attracting foreign patients, hosted by the National Institute for Korean Medicine Development, was held successfully at the Seoul branch seminar room on August 24.

The National Institute for Korean Medicine Development successfully completed training to strengthen capabilities in attracting foreign patients. Photo by the National Institute for Korean Medicine Development

This training was conducted both online and offline, targeting practicing and prospective doctors.

A total of over 270 participants attended, demonstrating strong interest in attracting foreign patients.

The training program focused on practical work, including case studies of treating foreign patients, patient communication, and promotional strategies. Lee Seunghwan, Director of Tongin Korean Medicine Clinic, shared insights on trends in the foreign patient attraction business and his own experiences, stating, "We hope that more medical institutions will expand their services to foreign patients by utilizing various know-how to improve accessibility."

Additionally, Kim Kihyun, Director of Dallyeora Korean Medicine Clinic, explained the registration system for medical institutions to attract foreign patients, including specific procedures and their pros and cons. Seo Ikhun, Director at PreDoc, presented website improvement strategies featuring AI-based content creation and real-time reservation functions. Jeon Minseo, CEO of The Pylon Club, discussed the operation of foreign resident communities and experience groups in Korea, as well as effective promotional strategies. Seo Yeeun (Khaing), Marketing Team Leader at Fivestones and originally from Myanmar, shared tips on producing short videos and promotional know-how, receiving a positive response.

Following this, Team Yaowamal, a marketing team member from Thailand at Tongin Korean Medicine Clinic, spoke about social media management and responding to direct messages. Lee Serin, former Chief Medical Officer at Tongin Korean Medicine Clinic, discussed approaches and case studies in treating foreign patients. Choi Hyuk, Director of Choi Hyuk Korean Medicine Clinic, introduced cases of attracting and treating Japanese patients.

There was also a lecture on strategies combining medical care and tourism. Lee Jewoo, CEO of Hanatour ITC, announced plans to register Korean medicine treatment products on Naver Map exclusively for foreign visitors, in line with changing tourism trends. Kim Dokyun, CEO of Good Medi Korea, explained the shift in marketing paradigms for attracting foreign patients and how Korean medicine institutions can adapt. In particular, he suggested actively utilizing Korean medicine treatments for musculoskeletal disorders, indigestion, and other common travel-related ailments to promote Korean medicine abroad.

After the lectures, there was an active Q&A session and networking among participants. Attendees expressed satisfaction, stating, "It was very helpful as it contained real field experiences and lessons learned from trial and error."

Lee Youngmin, Head of the Globalization Center at the National Institute for Korean Medicine Development, commented, "This training once again confirmed the Korean medicine community's interest in attracting foreign patients," and added, "We expect that linking with tourism will further expand Korean medicine services."