Open data from KHIDI · as of 31 Dec 2022
Korea Medical Tourism Statistics
Korea had 2,023 medical institutions registered to attract foreign patients in 2022, adding up its 17 regions, and 62.1% of them were in Seoul.
K-Medical Tourism Institute breaks the number of registered institutions down by year and by region, and lists the addresses and current link status of 36 official medical tourism websites. It does not recommend hospitals or arrange treatment.
- Registered institutions nationwide2,0232022, 17 regions added
- Seoul's share62.1%1,257 in Seoul
- Official medical tourism websites3632 opened on 5 Oct 2026
- Regional offices22in 14 regions
How many registered institutions were there each year?
Korea Registered Hospitals for Foreign PatientsThe count grew from 1,453 in 2009 to 3,115 in 2016, dropped to 1,664 in 2017 and stood at 2,023 in 2022.
- Nationwide
- Seoul
| Row | 2009 | 2012 | 2016 | 2017 | 2020 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | 1,453 | 2,498 | 3,115 | 1,664 | 1,509 | 2,023 |
| Seoul | 823 | 1,324 | 1,646 | 974 | 920 | 1,257 |
Sources KHIDI: Medical institutions registered to attract foreign patients, by year and region (as of 31 Dec 2022, in Korean) · KHIDI: Medical Korea list of useful websites for medical tourism (as of 29 Aug 2023, in Korean)
Statistics, regions, official contacts. Three ways into the data.
All topics
TopicRegistered Hospitals for Foreign PatientsKorea had 2,023 medical institutions registered to attract foreign patients in 2022, adding up its 17 regions, and Seoul accounted for 62.1%.Seocho District from the Han River, Seoul, 2023 · Photo SpaceshipMe (CC0 1.0)
TopicMedical Tourism in Korea by RegionIn 2022 Seoul had 1,257 registered medical institutions for foreign patients, followed by Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongnam with 228 and Daegu and Gyeongbuk with 178.Yongmeori Coast, Jeju, 2022 · Photo Bernard Gagnon (CC0 1.0)
TopicOfficial Medical Tourism Contacts in KoreaMedical Korea lists 36 official medical tourism websites, and 32 of their addresses opened when checked on 5 Oct 2026.Seoul Plaza and Seoul City Hall, Seoul, 2018 · Photo H. Y. Shin 000 (CC0 1.0)
Explainers
All explainersShort pieces on the points where the tables are easy to misread: why the series breaks, and what the data cannot tell you.
- ExplainerHow to Read Korea's Foreign Patient Hospital StatisticsKorea's statistics on hospitals for foreign patients count, region by region, the medical institutions that have registered in order to attract foreign patients. They are a different statistic from patient numbers, and a national figure only exists once the 17 regions are added together.
- ExplainerWhy Korea's Registered Hospitals Fell from 3,115 to 1,664 in 20172017 was the year every institution already registered to attract foreign patients had to renew that registration by June 22, and in that year the national count went from 3,115 to 1,664. The renewal was required by the addenda to an Act that took effect on June 23, 2016, and the health ministry said institutions with no patient results or no intention to renew were excluded.
- ExplainerSix in Ten Registered Hospitals for Foreign Patients Are in SeoulIn the 2022 statistics, 1,257 of Korea's 2,023 medical institutions registered to attract foreign patients were in Seoul, a share of 62.1%. From 2009, the first year in the source, to 2022, Seoul's share moved between 51.9% and 62.1%.
- ExplainerWhat Happened to Korea's Registered Hospitals During COVID-19?Korea's national count of medical institutions registered to attract foreign patients fell 26.4%, from 2,051 in 2019 to 1,509 in 2020, and stood at 2,023 in 2022. The number of unique foreign patients announced by the health ministry fell 76.5% in 2020, so the two figures dropped by different margins.
- ExplainerHow to Check if a Korean Hospital Is Registered for Foreign PatientsYou can check whether a Korean hospital, clinic or facilitator is registered to attract foreign patients on Medical Korea's online search for registered institutions. Registration means the institution met the requirements set by law and registered with its city or provincial governor, and a registration is valid for three years from the registration date.
- ExplainerWhich Official Korean Medical Tourism Office Should You Contact?The official office to contact for medical tourism in Korea depends on the situation: before you travel, Medical Korea's search for registered institutions and the immigration and visa sites; during your stay, the Medical Korea Information Center; and when something goes wrong, the Korea Medical dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency and the report center listed as "illicit solicitation of international patients report center".
Data 12 pages
All data pages- DataKorea Registered Hospitals for Foreign Patients2,023 in 2022 · peak 3,115 in 2016
- DataKorea Medical Tourism Hospitals by RegionSeoul 62.1% · capital area 67.9% in 2022
- DataSeoul Medical Tourism1,257 in 2022 · 62.1% of the national total
- DataIncheon and Gyeonggi Medical Tourism116 in 2022 (Gyeonggi 12) · 5.7% of the national total
- DataBusan, Ulsan and Gyeongnam Medical Tourism228 in 2022 · 11.3% of the national total
- DataDaegu and Gyeongbuk Medical Tourism178 in 2022 · 8.8% of the national total
- DataGwangju and Jeolla Medical Tourism123 in 2022 · 96 in Gwangju
- DataDaejeon and Chungcheong Medical Tourism80 in 2022 · 29 in Daejeon
- DataGangwon and Jeju Medical Tourism41 in 2022 · 33 in Jeju
- DataOfficial Medical Tourism Websites in Korea36 entries · 32 opened on 5 Oct 2026
- DataMedical Tourism Offices in Korea by Region22 offices · 14 regions · 21 opened on 5 Oct 2026
- DataHelp for Foreign Patients in Korea8 contacts · mediation within 90 days · base fee 22,000 won
How K-Medical Tourism Institute handles data
Editorial policy- Every page names its source and dateEach figure carries the name, address and reference date of its source. Totals and shares that were calculated are labelled as calculated.
- Odd values are not hiddenA figure far out of line with the years around it, such as Gyeonggi in 2022, is printed as published, with a note that the source gives no reason.
- No hospital recommendationsThere are no consultations, referrals, affiliate links or advertising. Addresses of official offices are shown with the date they were last opened.
Frequently asked questions
How many hospitals in Korea are registered to treat foreign patients?
2,023 in the 2022 statistics. That is the sum of the 17 regional values in the Korea Health Industry Development Institute's data, and the highest year was 2016, with 3,115.
Why did the number of registered hospitals in Korea drop so sharply in 2017?
It went from 3,115 in 2016 to 1,664 in 2017. An Act in force from 23 June 2016 required institutions registered earlier to renew by 22 June 2017, and renewal required medical liability insurance. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said institutions with no record of attracting patients or no intention to renew dropped out.
Why Korea's Registered Hospitals Fell from 3,115 to 1,664 in 2017
Which region of Korea has the most registered hospitals?
Seoul, with 1,257 in 2022, or 62.1% of the national total. Busan follows with 181 and Daegu with 163.
What share of registered hospitals is in the Seoul capital area?
Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi together had 1,373 in 2022, or 67.9% of the national total (1,373 ÷ 2,023). That figure includes Gyeonggi's 2022 value of 12 as printed in the source.
How can you check whether a Korean hospital is registered for foreign patients?
Look it up in the Medical Korea foreign patient attraction information system, by institution name or business registration number. The English-language page is Medical Korea's Registered Hospitals. A registration is valid for three years from the registration date.
How to Check if a Korean Hospital Is Registered for Foreign Patients
Where can a foreign patient get help if something goes wrong with treatment?
A dispute over a medical accident can be taken to the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency (consultation line 1670-2545), whose system also applies to foreign nationals. Complaints and disputes can first be discussed with the Medical Korea Information Center at +82-2-1577-7129, open daily from 09:00 to 18:00 Korean time.
Does K-Medical Tourism Institute recommend or book hospitals?
No. K-Medical Tourism Institute publishes figures from open statistics and the addresses of official offices. It offers no hospital recommendations, consultations, referrals or advertising.
Where do the figures come from?
Two files released by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute on the Korean Public Data Portal are the main sources: the registered-institution statistics (data as of 31 Dec 2022) and the Medical Korea list of 36 official websites (data as of 29 Aug 2023). Counts after 2022 are taken from the institute's 21 Jul 2026 list.