Medical Tourism in South Korea is now an international brand: The East Asian state is among the world’s best in attracting medical tourists, here’s why.
South Korea’s name is entwined with advanced and cutting edge technology. This simple reality is reflected in the fact that the country has the world’s fastest internet network, as well as the most efficient railroad system. South Korea has been designated by the United Nations as the second best country in the world for raising children. Furthermore the country is one of the most developed states in the world, with its economy accounting for 12th largest in the world.
The South Korean healthcare system has consistently been recognized as one of the world’s best, often placing above countries such as the UK and the Scandinavian states in different rankings.
Starting with the reign of Sejong the Great in the 15th century and his “scientific revolution”, Korea, and one of its successor states, South Korea, have always been one of the most advanced countries in the world. It is only natural for such a country to not only have a say in medical tourism, but to become one of its forerunners.
Here we will examine everything that makes the South Korean medical tourism one of the best in the world and a desirable destination.
High Quality of Medical Services in South Korea
The World Health Organization has set 5 hospital beds per capita as the standard amount for countries everywhere. South Korea maintains 10 beds per capita which is twice the designated standard and only second in the world to Japan. 83 percent of these beds are privately owned in 93 percent of South Korean Hospitals. South Korean is largely privately owned, which reflects its independence from the state and lack of any need for direct state regulations and monitoring.
Many countries that have found favor in medical tourism in recent times, have managed to do so mostly due to their expertise in one specific area of medicine. South Korea however, is one of the exceptions since its performance in different medical fields has been repeatedly and categorically recognized as being world class. South Korea has the world’s highest cancer treatment success rate at 76 percent; with heart attack and stroke cases leading to death also being one third of countries like Canada and Sweden, and one fourth of the US.
The crime rate in South Korea is almost nonexistent which ensures ease of mind for all the medical tourists visiting the country.
All of these stats are proof of a healthcare system that easily equals and even eclipses its European and American counterparts. All South Korean hospitals, regardless of their private or public ownership, are required to follow standards and guidelines as defined by the Korean state. Every hospital in South Korea is reviewed once a year to ensure equality of hospitals on a national level.
Since we already mentioned Korea being a tech giant, it is also noteworthy that almost all the hospitals in South Korea use nationally produced equipment and devices, with the import of such materials for South Korea being one of the lowest in the world.
Korean Traditional Medicine
Korea is the birthplace of millennia old medical practices that survive to this day, and are collectively known as the country’s traditional medicine. This school of medicine looks to the body and the mind as one connected system and encourages the patients to find a balance between these two elements. The South Korean traditional medicine also emphasizes the need for one to be in harmony with nature.

The South Korean Traditional school of medicine is one of the two accredited alternative medicine methods in the world and is on the offer in conjunction with modern medicine in many South Korean medical facilities.
The most famous of treatment methods that are often used in the Korean Traditional medicine include moxibustion, acupuncture, “Chuna”, and herbal medicine.
Low Costs
Naturally many believe that due to South Korea’s world class healthcare quality as well as the country’s position as one of the world’s largest economy, that the costs of treatment should equally high. This however, is not the case. Although South Korean medical prices are higher than its competitors is Southeast Asia such as Thailand and Malaysia, they are consistently 40 to 50 percent cheaper than European states and 30 to 85 percent cheaper than those in the United States. These relatively low prices along with the exceptional quality of the offered medical services make South Korea for a fine medical tourism destination.
Benefits of Medical Tourism in South Korea
Since 2012, medical tourism became a principal part of the South Korean economic policies, and to that end, the Korea International Medical Association was founded as the supervisory organization for the industry. A year later in 2013 these collective policies bore fruit and the country witnessed a number of incoming medical tourists doubled from 200 thousand in 2012 to 400 thousand in 210. The government of South Korea estimates that by the end of 2020 the number will reach 1 million medical tourists a year, which would place them on equal footing with their biggest regional rival, Malaysia.
The Seoul International Airport has a section dedicated to the incoming medical tourists which will serve as a guide for them from the moment of their arrival.
The crime rate in South Korea is almost nonexistent which ensures ease of mind for all the medical tourists visiting the country.
The South Korean government has announced decreased tax rates on medical tourism investments as an effort to bring in foreign investors in the field. All South Korean medical centers along with their equipment and treatment methods are constantly being updated.
South Korea is also home to many recreational and luxurious resorts and spas that excellently serve as a haven for patients during their recovery and convalescence, so that they can leave the country with a healthy body and a good memory of their host nation.
Article by: Parsa Khaknezhad