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Record 2.01M Foreigners Seek Treatment in South Korea
28 Apr
Summary
- Foreign medical tourists to South Korea reached 2.01 million in 2025.
- Japanese visitors numbered 600,000, making them the second-largest group.
- Over 60% of visitors sought dermatological treatments.
South Korea welcomed an unprecedented 2.01 million foreign medical tourists in 2025, marking an all-time high. This significant increase represents a 71.9% rise from the previous year.
Japanese visitors showed a notable increase, with 600,000 individuals making up 29.8% of the total. Chinese tourists remained the largest group, numbering around 620,000. Dermatological treatments were the most sought-after medical service, attracting 62.9% of foreign patients, followed by orthopedic treatments at 11.2%.
The flourishing popularity of South Korean culture, including K-pop and cosmetics, is believed to be a major factor in this rise. These visitors, along with their companions, injected approximately 12.5 trillion won into the economy, with medical expenditures alone reaching about 3.3 trillion won. The government, actively promoting medical services since 2009, continues to monitor the initiative to ensure it does not impede domestic access to healthcare.
