More licensed hospitals and medical tourism agents in South Korea

1,709 registered hospitals/clinics and 1,413 licenced private businesses can attract medical tourists.

In South Korea, the Ministry of Health and Welfare is seeking to promote Korea as a global brand, instead of setting an annual target for attracting foreign patients.
The government is operating an information system to attract foreign patients, obligating medical institutions and agents to register with the system to get qualified to provide services to overseas patients. As of March 2018, there were 1,709 registered hospitals/clinics and 1,413 licenced private businesses that can engage in marketing to attract medical tourists. All licences are for three years.
Through evaluation according to the “Act on support for the overseas expansion of healthcare system and attraction of foreign patients,” the government designates superior hospitals for foreign patients from among medical institutions registered with the government.
Most Korean hospitals attracting foreign patients have separate teams serving international clients. Korea spends $1 billion a year attracting medical tourists.
South Korea has gone very fast from nowhere to a big player in the medical tourism market but in doing so went for low prices and poor quality that is now rebounding on its potential. View the IMTJ country report for further details about medical tourism in South Korea.