"Getting Cosmetic Treatments and Visiting Korean Medicine Clinics"... 1 Million Spent 1.2 Trillion Won

Record Number of Foreign Medical Tourists in Seoul
Dermatology, Plastic Surgery, and Internal Medicine Most Popular
Rising Number of Medical Institutions Serving Foreign Patients
"K-Pop Demon Hunters" Craze Expected to Boost Medical Tourism

Last year, the number of foreign medical tourists visiting Seoul reached an all-time high of approximately 1 million. With the global popularity of "K-Pop Demon Hunters," which has turned traditional Korean medicine clinics into "tourist attractions," the medical tourism sector is expected to grow even further.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on September 4, the "2024 Status of Attracting Foreign Patients" released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute showed that 999,642 foreign patients used medical institutions in Seoul last year. This figure is 2.1 times higher than the previous year (473,340 patients) and more than 3.1 times higher than before the pandemic in 2019 (320,284 patients).

Medical Tourism Patient Treatment

The total amount spent by foreign patients at medical institutions in Seoul using credit cards issued overseas last year was 1.2 trillion won. Of the nationwide total of 1.4 trillion won, 85.7% was spent in Seoul.

The most popular medical specialty among foreign patients was dermatology, with 665,382 people, accounting for 64.2% of the total, receiving treatment in this field. This was followed by plastic surgery (12.7%) and internal medicine (7.8%).

By nationality, Japan accounted for the largest number of patients at 421,541, followed by China (220,260), the United States (75,531), and Taiwan (74,292).

The Seoul Metropolitan Government cited the expansion of medical institutions serving foreign patients, systematic management through promotional and marketing support, and interpreter coordinators at partner medical institutions as key factors driving the increase in foreign medical tourists. The number of foreign patient-serving medical institutions in Seoul more than doubled from 920 in 2020 to 1,994 last year, accounting for 10.4% of all medical institutions in Seoul (19,207 in total).

With the overall number of foreign tourists increasing, the city expects the number of medical tourists to exceed 1.14 million this year. In the first half of this year, 8.82 million foreign tourists visited Korea, an increase of about 1.12 million compared to the same period last year (7.7 million).

In particular, a scene in "K-Pop Demon Hunters" where the character Huntrix prepares herbal medicine has led many foreign visitors to include traditional Korean medicine clinics as part of their Seoul itinerary, further accelerating the growth of medical tourism.

Kang Jinyong, Director of Healthcare Policy at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "As the number of foreign medical tourists choosing Seoul for its excellent medical technology and infrastructure continues to rise, Seoul is solidifying its reputation as a global medical tourism city. We will continue to systematically manage institutions attracting foreign patients and expand various forms of support to ensure foreigners can safely and conveniently access K-medical services."