What 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.
2020 coincides with the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the source gives no reason for any change. K-Medical Tourism Institute calculated the change in each of the 17 regions and notes that the 2022 national figure includes 12 for Gyeonggi.
Contents
- How much did the number of registered hospitals during COVID-19 change nationwide?
- Where did registered hospitals during COVID-19 fall the most?
- Were registered hospitals during COVID-19 back at their 2019 level by 2022?
- Did registered hospitals during COVID-19 fall as far as patient numbers?
- Does the source say why registered hospitals during COVID-19 fell?
- What should you state when quoting figures on registered hospitals during COVID-19?
- Frequently asked questions about registered hospitals during COVID-19
- Related pages
- Sources
How much did the number of registered hospitals during COVID-19 change nationwide?
It fell by 542, from 2,051 in 2019 to 1,509 in 2020. That is a decrease of 26.4% (1 − 1,509 ÷ 2,051).
| Year | Nationwide (17 regions added) | Change from prior year | Percent change from prior year | Value ÷ 2019 value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2,051 | +94 | +4.8% | 100.0% |
| 2020 | 1,509 | -542 | -26.4% | 73.6% |
| 2021 | 1,586 | +77 | +5.1% | 77.3% |
| 2022 | 2,023 | +437 | +27.6% | 98.6% |
The 2021 figure of 1,586 was 77 more than in 2020, and the 2022 figure of 2,023 was 437 more than in 2021. The 2022 value is 98.6% of the 2019 value (2,023 ÷ 2,051).
The 2022 national figure includes 12 for Gyeonggi. Gyeonggi was 198 in 2019 and 151 in 2021, and the source gives no reason why its 2022 value is so different. Adding only the 16 regions other than Gyeonggi gives 1,853 for 2019 and 2,011 for 2022, which puts the 2022 value at 108.5% of the 2019 value (2,011 ÷ 1,853).
The source has no national figure, so the 17 regional values were added. How the total is put together is explained in How to Read Korea's Foreign Patient Hospital Statistics.
Where did registered hospitals during COVID-19 fall the most?
Between 2019 and 2020 Seoul lost the most institutions (291). All 17 regions had a smaller value in 2020 than in 2019.
| Region | 2019 | 2020 | Change | Percent change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul | 1,211 | 920 | -291 | -24.0% |
| Busan | 179 | 115 | -64 | -35.8% |
| Gyeonggi | 198 | 140 | -58 | -29.3% |
| Daegu | 100 | 79 | -21 | -21.0% |
| Daejeon | 44 | 25 | -19 | -43.2% |
| Jeonnam | 20 | 8 | -12 | -60.0% |
| Gyeongnam | 25 | 13 | -12 | -48.0% |
| Gwangju | 39 | 28 | -11 | -28.2% |
| Chungbuk | 28 | 17 | -11 | -39.3% |
| Incheon | 86 | 77 | -9 | -10.5% |
| Ulsan | 16 | 7 | -9 | -56.2% |
| Chungnam | 26 | 19 | -7 | -26.9% |
| Jeju | 35 | 29 | -6 | -17.1% |
| Gangwon | 12 | 7 | -5 | -41.7% |
| Jeonbuk | 20 | 16 | -4 | -20.0% |
| Gyeongbuk | 11 | 9 | -2 | -18.2% |
| Sejong | 1 | 0 | -1 | -100.0% |
| Nationwide | 2,051 | 1,509 | -542 | -26.4% |
The largest falls in number were in Seoul (291), Busan (64) and Gyeonggi (58). The smallest falls were in Sejong (1), Gyeongbuk (2) and Jeonbuk (4).
The largest percentage falls were Sejong 100.0% (1 to 0), Jeonnam 60.0% (20 to 8) and Ulsan 56.2% (16 to 7). The smallest were Incheon 10.5% (86 to 77), Jeju 17.1% (35 to 29) and Gyeongbuk 18.2% (11 to 9). Seoul fell 24.0%, less than the national 26.4%.
Regional values for all 14 years are in Korea Medical Tourism Hospitals by Region.
Were registered hospitals during COVID-19 back at their 2019 level by 2022?
It differed by region. Of the 17 regions, 7 had a larger value in 2022 than in 2019 and 9 had a smaller one. The national figure was 98.6% of its 2019 value, and that figure includes 12 for Gyeonggi.
| Region | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 − 2019 | 2022 ÷ 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul | 1,211 | 920 | 939 | 1,257 | +46 | 103.8% |
| Busan | 179 | 115 | 130 | 181 | +2 | 101.1% |
| Daegu | 100 | 79 | 85 | 163 | +63 | 163.0% |
| Incheon | 86 | 77 | 81 | 104 | +18 | 120.9% |
| Gwangju | 39 | 28 | 27 | 96 | +57 | 246.2% |
| Daejeon | 44 | 25 | 23 | 29 | -15 | 65.9% |
| Ulsan | 16 | 7 | 12 | 26 | +10 | 162.5% |
| Gyeonggi | 198 | 140 | 151 | 12 | -186 | 6.1% |
| Gangwon | 12 | 7 | 7 | 8 | -4 | 66.7% |
| Chungbuk | 28 | 17 | 21 | 25 | -3 | 89.3% |
| Chungnam | 26 | 19 | 24 | 25 | -1 | 96.2% |
| Jeonbuk | 20 | 16 | 15 | 17 | -3 | 85.0% |
| Jeonnam | 20 | 8 | 11 | 10 | -10 | 50.0% |
| Gyeongbuk | 11 | 9 | 11 | 15 | +4 | 136.4% |
| Gyeongnam | 25 | 13 | 17 | 21 | -4 | 84.0% |
| Jeju | 35 | 29 | 31 | 33 | -2 | 94.3% |
| Sejong | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |
| Nationwide | 2,051 | 1,509 | 1,586 | 2,023 | -28 | 98.6% |
| 16 regions without Gyeonggi | 1,853 | 1,369 | 1,435 | 2,011 | +158 | 108.5% |
The regions with a larger value in 2022 than in 2019 were Seoul 1,257 (103.8% of 1,211 in 2019), Busan 181 (101.1% of 179 in 2019), Daegu 163 (163.0% of 100 in 2019), Incheon 104 (120.9% of 86 in 2019), Gwangju 96 (246.2% of 39 in 2019), Ulsan 26 (162.5% of 16 in 2019) and Gyeongbuk 15 (136.4% of 11 in 2019). The value was the same in both years in Sejong (1).
Among the 9 regions below their 2019 value, the largest gaps were in Gyeonggi (186), Daejeon (15) and Jeonnam (10). Gyeonggi went from 198 in 2019 to 12 in 2022. That value is also far from the 151 recorded for 2021, and the source gives no reason.
Between 2021 and 2022 the national figure rose by 437. The largest gains in number were in Seoul (318), Daegu (78) and Gwangju (69). The source gives no reason for this increase either.
Did registered hospitals during COVID-19 fall as far as patient numbers?
No, the two did not fall by the same margin. In 2020 the institution count fell 26.4%, and the number of unique foreign patients announced by the health ministry fell 76.5% (1 − 1,509 ÷ 2,051 and 1 − 117,069 ÷ 497,464).
| Year | Registered institutions (17 regions added) | Institutions ÷ 2019 institutions | Unique foreign patients (health ministry) | Patients ÷ 2019 patients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2,051 | 100.0% | 497,464 | 100.0% |
| 2020 | 1,509 | 73.6% | 117,069 | 23.5% |
| 2021 | 1,586 | 77.3% | 145,842 | 29.3% |
| 2022 | 2,023 | 98.6% | 248,110 | 49.9% |
Unique patients numbered 497,464 in 2019, 117,069 in 2020, 145,842 in 2021 and 248,110 in 2022. Patients in 2022 were 49.9% of the 2019 number, while institutions in the same year were 98.6% of the 2019 number (248,110 ÷ 497,464 and 2,023 ÷ 2,051). The 2022 institution count includes 12 for Gyeonggi.
The two figures count different things. The institution count is the number of registered medical institutions. According to the health ministry's press release, the patient figure is based on results reported by registered institutions and others. It counts the individuals treated at each institution and leaves out consultations, remote care and proxy prescriptions.
K-Medical Tourism Institute does not read a change in the institution count as a change in patient numbers. Patient numbers have been announced up to 2025, and the institution statistics end in 2022.
Does the source say why registered hospitals during COVID-19 fell?
It does not. The source is a table of regional figures and gives no reason for the change in any year.
The 2020 fall coincides with the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the documents K-Medical Tourism Institute reviewed, none states that the pandemic reduced the number of registered institutions. What can be confirmed is that the two happened in the same year, and no more.
The figures are not defined either. Neither the file nor the Public Data Portal description shows whether the 1,509 for 2020 is the number of institutions holding a registration at the end of that year or the number registered during it.
Of the 14 years in the source, the one year in which the national figure fell by more than in 2020 is 2017. It fell by 1,451 that year, when registrations had to be renewed. The sequence is set out in Why Korea's Registered Hospitals Fell from 3,115 to 1,664 in 2017.
What should you state when quoting figures on registered hospitals during COVID-19?
That the 2022 figure includes 12 for Gyeonggi, and that the source gives no reason for the changes. By use, that breaks down into four points.
- For a national figure: that the source has none and it is the sum of the 17 regions
- When comparing the 2022 national figure with 2019: that Gyeonggi is recorded as 198 in 2019 and 12 in 2022
- For the 2020 fall: that the source gives no reason
- When used with patient numbers: that institutions and unique patients are different statistics
National figures for 2009 to 2022 are in Korea Registered Hospitals for Foreign Patients.
Frequently asked questions about registered hospitals during COVID-19
Did any region gain registered hospitals in 2020?
No. K-Medical Tourism Institute compared the 17 regional values in the source, and every region had a smaller value in 2020 than in 2019.
Did COVID-19 cause the fall in registrations?
The data cannot confirm that. All that can be said is that the 2020 fall coincides with the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The source gives no reason.
How far is the 2022 national count from the 2019 count?
The 2022 figure is 2,023, which is 28 fewer than the 2,051 of 2019. The 2022 figure includes 12 for Gyeonggi, which was 198 in 2019.
Were foreign patient numbers back at their 2019 level by 2022?
According to the health ministry, unique patients numbered 248,110 in 2022, which is 49.9% of the 497,464 in 2019. The figure announced for 2023 is 605,768.
Why is Sejong zero in 2020?
The source records Sejong as 1 in 2019, 0 in 2020 and 1 in 2021. It gives no reason.
Sources
- KHIDI: Medical institutions registered to attract foreign patients, by year and region (as of 31 Dec 2022, in Korean) Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), Korean Public Data Portal · 13 Dec 2023 · data as of 31 Dec 2022, no restriction on reuse stated
- MOHW press release: foreign patients treated in Korea passed 2 million in 2025 (in Korean) Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) · 24 Apr 2026 · the attachment prints unique patients for 2009 to 2025
Every address was opened and checked on 5 Oct 2026. Shares and changes were calculated from the source values, and the formulas are shown in the text.