What's behind Korea's growing medical tourism market?

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뻗어나가는 K-의료 관광… 그 이유와 전망은?

When you think of traveling, you might picture museums, iconic landmarks, and snapping photos.
But in an era where health and wellness are one of top priorities, medical tourism is on the rise, with Korea emerging as a popular destination.
Our culture correspondent, Song Yoo-jin, has the details.

One of the great things about traveling is that it can make you a better version of yourself.
Medical tourism, where people travel abroad for medical care, does this by improving both your inner and outer well-being.
Korea has become a top destination for medical tourism over the years.

Data from the Health Ministry shows that Korea welcomed a record-high 6-hundred-6-thousand foreign medical tourists last year.
That's more than double the number from 2022 and the highest since data collection began in 2009.
The most popular departments were dermatology, plastic surgery, and internal medicine.

By region, Seoul city hosted 78 percent of them, with one-third who visited in 2023 coming to one particular district.

"Gangnam-gu District in southern Seoul, where I am right now, is renowned as the epicenter of Korea's medical tourism. It's home to countless beauty clinics, including ones that specialize in plastic surgery, dermatology, dental care, and hair restoration."

The Korea Medical Tour Promotion Association, under the Culture Ministry, recently held an event inviting international content creators and social media influencers to experience K-medical tourism firsthand.

"I believe the key factors behind the growth of Korea's medical tourism market are the popularity of K-dramas and K-pop, which have made people want to visit Korea. Also, the country's cosmetics and healthcare markets have expanded significantly. We, as doctors, will work with these influencers to promote Korea's excellent medical services worldwide."

High-quality yet affordable services are what makes Korea's medical sector stand out.

"I would say the professional results and the doctors are really good and also it's very, very cheap compared to other countries. I'm from Europe, the clinics there are highly expensive so I think this is something that attracts people to do surgeries in Korea."

"I would say like accommodation. I think there's a lot of centers that offer multiple languages and interpreters as well."

Korea aims to host a total of 7-hundred-thousand medical tourists per year by 2027.
But, what can be done to achieve this goal?

"The global medical tourism market is expected to keep growing due to its high value. It's crucial to develop the unique advantages that only Korea can offer. The government is making continuous efforts to improve services to meet the needs of medical tourists, from their arrival to departure. We need to keep integrating medical services with tourism programs and increase support for these initiatives."

Combining medical care with travel, medical tourism offers a holistic approach to healing and well-being.

Song Yoo-jin, Arirang News.

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2024-06-17, 18:00 (KST)