Korea Registered Hospitals for Foreign Patients
Korea had 2,023 medical institutions registered to attract foreign patients in 2022, adding up its 17 regions.
K-Medical Tourism Institute shows the number of registered hospitals and clinics for every year from 2009 to 2022, using open data from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute. The highest figure was 3,115 in 2016, a level not reached again in any later year of the series.
- Registered nationwide, 2022
- 2,023+437 from the year before
- Peak year
- 20163,115
- Change in 2017
- -1,451-46.6% from the year before
- 21 Jul 2026 list
- 4,188a different kind of source
Contents
- How many registered hospitals for foreign patients in Korea are there?
- How has the number of registered hospitals for foreign patients in Korea changed by year?
- When did the number of registered hospitals for foreign patients in Korea fall most?
- Where are the registered hospitals for foreign patients in Korea located?
- Where can you find the number of registered hospitals for foreign patients in Korea after 2022?
- What should you keep in mind when reading the figures on registered hospitals for foreign patients in Korea?
- Where do the figures on registered hospitals for foreign patients in Korea come from, and how were they calculated?
- Frequently asked questions about registered hospitals for foreign patients in Korea
- Related pages
- Sources
How many registered hospitals for foreign patients in Korea are there?
2,023 in 2022. The source has no nationwide row, so this is the sum of the 17 regions. It is 437 more than the year before (1,586).
A registered institution is a hospital or clinic that has met the requirements and registered with its city or provincial governor in order to attract foreign patients. Anything from a clinic to a tertiary general hospital can register, and the yearly statistics do not separate the types. The figure is a different statistic from the number of patients treated.
How has the number of registered hospitals for foreign patients in Korea changed by year?
It grew from 1,453 in 2009 to 3,115 in 2016 and then dropped to 1,664 in 2017. It was 2,051 in 2019, 1,509 in 2020 and 2,023 in 2022.
| Year | Nationwide (17 regions added) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 1,453 | - |
| 2010 | 1,814 | +361 |
| 2011 | 2,091 | +277 |
| 2012 | 2,498 | +407 |
| 2013 | 2,690 | +192 |
| 2014 | 2,688 | -2 |
| 2015 | 2,813 | +125 |
| 2016 | 3,115 | +302 |
| 2017 | 1,664 | -1,451 |
| 2018 | 1,957 | +293 |
| 2019 | 2,051 | +94 |
| 2020 | 1,509 | -542 |
| 2021 | 1,586 | +77 |
| 2022 | 2,023 | +437 |
From 2009 to 2016 the count rose every year except 2014 (-2). The 2016 figure is 2.1 times that of 2009 (3,115 ÷ 1,453). The 2022 figure is 64.9% of the 2016 one.
When did the number of registered hospitals for foreign patients in Korea fall most?
In 2017, when it was 1,451 lower than the year before (-46.6%). The second largest fall came in 2020, at 542 (-26.4%).
| Year | Year before | That year | Change | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 3,115 | 1,664 | -1,451 | -46.6% |
| 2020 | 2,051 | 1,509 | -542 | -26.4% |
| 2022 | 1,586 | 2,023 | +437 | +27.6% |
| 2012 | 2,091 | 2,498 | +407 | +19.5% |
| 2010 | 1,453 | 1,814 | +361 | +24.8% |
2017 was the year in which a law in force since June 2016 required institutions already registered to renew within one year. The background is in Why Korea's Registered Hospitals Fell from 3,115 to 1,664 in 2017. The source gives no reason for the fall in 2020. The figures for the years around it are in What Happened to Korea's Registered Hospitals During COVID-19?.
Where are the registered hospitals for foreign patients in Korea located?
Of the 2,023 in 2022, 1,257 are in Seoul, a share of 62.1%.
| Row | 2009 | 2012 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul | 823 | 1,324 | 1,461 | 1,646 | 974 | 1,211 | 920 | 939 | 1,257 |
| Incheon and Gyeonggi | 212 | 388 | 424 | 459 | 211 | 284 | 217 | 232 | 116 |
| The other 14 regions | 418 | 786 | 928 | 1,010 | 479 | 556 | 372 | 415 | 650 |
| Nationwide | 1,453 | 2,498 | 2,813 | 3,115 | 1,664 | 2,051 | 1,509 | 1,586 | 2,023 |
The 2022 value in the Incheon and Gyeonggi row is far below earlier years because the source records Gyeonggi as 12. In 2021 it was 151. Counts and ranks for each of the 17 regions are in Korea Medical Tourism Hospitals by Region.
Where can you find the number of registered hospitals for foreign patients in Korea after 2022?
No statistics in the same format have been published for later years. A per-institution list as of 21 Jul 2026 gives 4,188 medical institutions and 2,733 facilitators.
| Source | Reference date | Medical institutions | Facilitators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered institutions by year and region (statistics) | 31 Dec 2022 | 2,023 | - |
| Registered institutions and facilitators (list) | 21 Jul 2026 | 4,188 | 2,733 |
The list should not be joined to the 2022 statistics and read as "so many times more". How the two sources differ is explained in How to Read Korea's Foreign Patient Hospital Statistics.
What should you keep in mind when reading the figures on registered hospitals for foreign patients in Korea?
The source file does not define its figures. Neither the file nor the portal description says whether a number is the count of institutions holding a registration at year end or the count registered during that year. It is also a different statistic from the number of patients treated.
The 2022 national figure includes the source value of 12 for Gyeonggi. That value is far out of line with the years around it and the source gives no reason. It is safer to mention this whenever 2022 is compared with another year.
Where do the figures on registered hospitals for foreign patients in Korea come from, and how were they calculated?
The figures are taken as published from "Medical institutions registered to attract foreign patients, by year and region", a file the Korea Health Industry Development Institute released on the Korean Public Data Portal (data as of 31 Dec 2022). The file lists 17 regions and has no national total, so K-Medical Tourism Institute added the 17 regional values to get the nationwide figures, and calculated shares and changes from the same values.
The 21 Jul 2026 figures are counts by region and institution type from "Registered institutions and facilitators for foreign patients (list)", a 6,921-row list published by the same institute. 33 rows have the word "test" in the institution or representative name. They could not be told apart from real entries with certainty and were left in, so the true number of institutions may be slightly lower.
Frequently asked questions about registered hospitals for foreign patients in Korea
How many foreign patients are treated in Korea each year?
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced 2,011,822 unique foreign patients for 2025. In 2022, the last year of the institution statistics, there were 248,110. Patient numbers are a different statistic from registered institutions.
What does an institution need in order to register?
At least one specialist for each department in which it will attract patients, and medical malpractice liability insurance or membership of a medical liability mutual aid association. Registration is made with the city or provincial governor.
How long is a registration valid?
Three years from the registration date. An institution that wants to keep attracting foreign patients must renew before the period ends.
Do these statistics include facilitators?
No. The yearly statistics count medical institutions only. The 21 Jul 2026 list has 2,733 facilitators.
Where can you download the source data?
From the Korean Public Data Portal, where the file is published in Korean by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute. K-Medical Tourism Institute does not redistribute the file.
Is the national figure on K-Medical Tourism Institute an official statistic?
The regional values are from the official open data. The national figure is the sum of those 17 values, added by K-Medical Tourism Institute because the source has no nationwide row.
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
- KHIDI: List of registered institutions and facilitators for foreign patients (as of 21 Jul 2026, in Korean) Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), Korean Public Data Portal · 21 Jul 2026 · per-institution list, data as of 21 Jul 2026
- 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
- Act on Support for Overseas Expansion of Healthcare System and Attraction of International Patients (Korean text) Korea Law Information Center (Ministry of Government Legislation) · in force from 12 May 2026, Act No. 21112
Every address was opened and checked on 5 Oct 2026. The source files can be downloaded from the Korean Public Data Portal.