No. of Foreigners Seeking Medical Treatment in S. Korea Hits Record High of over 600,000 in 2023

The number of foreigners seeking medical treatment in South Korea reached a record-high figure last year, surpassing 600-thousand.

According to the health ministry on Monday, 605-thousand-768 foreigners visited the country for medical services in 2023, up 144-point-two percent year-on-year. Foreigners residing in South Korea who are eligible for national health insurance were excluded from the tally.

Last year’s figure is 21-point-eight percent higher than the pre-pandemic tally of 497-thousand in 2019, following the government’s measures to annually attract 700-thousand patients from overseas by 2027.

Thirty percent of the foreigners were from Japan, followed by 18-point-five percent from China, and 12-point-seven percent from the U.S.

Thirty-five-point-two percent of the patients had sought treatments in dermatology, and another 16-point-eight percent in cosmetic surgery.