Korea Medical Tourism FAQ
K-Medical Tourism Institute answers the questions that come up most about the registered hospital statistics, regional figures, the registration system and the official offices, using figures from the source data. Each answer links to the page it rests on.
Statistics
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
Is the number of registered hospitals the same as the number of foreign patients?
No, they are separate statistics. In 2022 there were 2,023 registered institutions, while the Ministry of Health and Welfare reported 248,110 unique foreign patients for the same year.
How did the number of registered hospitals change during COVID-19?
It fell from 2,051 in 2019 to 1,509 in 2020, a drop of 542 (2,051 - 1,509). It was 1,586 in 2021 and 2,023 in 2022.
What Happened to Korea's Registered Hospitals During COVID-19?
Regions
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.
Why is Gyeonggi listed with 12 registered hospitals in 2022?
The source prints 12 and gives no reason. Gyeonggi had 151 in 2021, so the value differs sharply from the neighboring years, and no official document confirming or correcting it was found.
Where can you find the local office that handles medical tourism in a region?
Of the 36 entries in the Medical Korea list of official websites, 22 are local governments and regional bodies. Each is shown with the result of a link check K-Medical Tourism Institute ran on 5 Oct 2026.
Registration and official contacts
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.
What is the difference between a registered hospital and a facilitator?
A registered medical institution is a hospital or clinic that has registered to attract foreign patients. A facilitator is a business other than a medical institution that has registered for the same purpose. The 21 Jul 2026 list has 4,188 medical institutions and 2,733 facilitators.
What happens if someone attracts foreign patients without registering?
Article 28 of the Act on attracting international patients sets a penalty of up to three years in prison or a fine of up to KRW 30 million. Solicitation by an unregistered organization can be reported to the report center for illegal solicitation of foreign patients, which does not accept anonymous reports.
About K-Medical Tourism Institute
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.
How current is the data?
The registered-institution statistics are dated 31 Dec 2022, and no file covering later years has been published. The per-institution list is dated 21 Jul 2026 and the list of official websites 29 Aug 2023; its addresses were opened again on 5 Oct 2026.
What happens when an official website address does not open?
K-Medical Tourism Institute opened the 36 official addresses on 5 Oct 2026: 2 did not respond and 1 had a changed path. An address that did not respond is shown as plain text without a link.