보건복지부 영문홈페이지

Foreign patients coming to Korea increased in 2021, despite the pandemic

코로나19 대유행에도 2021년 외국인 환자 수, 전년 대비 24.6% 증가

 

PRESS RELEASE

June 27, 2022

 

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) reported that 146,000 international patients visited Korea for medical treatment in 2021, a 24.6% increase from 117,000 in 2020.

 

According to MOHW, the growth is largely attributable to Korea’s advanced medical technology and services, which drove the attraction of more international patients compared to the previous year despite the mandatory quarantine for international arrivals.

 

Since Korea opened its doors to international patients in 2009, a cumulative total of 3.02 million patients have visited the nation for treatment.

 

In 2020, the number of international patients coming to Korea inevitably decreased due to the pandemic-induced restrictions on cross-border movement to reduce infection risk. In 2021, however, the number rose to 146,000, up 24.6% year-on-year, making a slight recovery toward pre-pandemic levels through accelerated vaccination campaigns.

 

(By country of origin) In 2021, international patients from 191 countries visited Korea. Patients from the US topped the list, followed by those from China, Vietnam, Mongolia and Thailand.

 

American and Chinese patients together accounted for 39% of the total, followed by those from Vietnam (7.4%) and Mongolia (6.3%).

 

The number of patients visiting Korea increased for most countries compared to the previous year, except for the numbers for Japan and China, which significantly declined by 76.5% and 9.9%, respectively.

 

(By medical specialty) Internal medicine accounted for the largest share of 26.4% of the total with 48,000 patients, followed by general health examination (10.1%), plastic surgery (9.2%), and dermatology (6.6%).

 

Compared to the previous year, most medical specialty fields saw an increase in the number of international patients. Specifically, general health examination, internal medicine, and ophthalmology showed high rates of increase, while plastic surgery maintained the number at almost the same level as the previous year and dermatology posted a decrease.

 

(By type of medical institution) General hospitals attracted the largest number of international patients at 32.8% of the total, followed by clinics (28.2%) and tertiary hospitals (25.6%).

 

(Increase rate of patients) Dental hospitals/clinics recorded the highest growth rate (55.1%) in international patients year-on-year, followed by general hospitals (50.3%) and tertiary hospitals (26.1%).

 

(Share of patients) The combined share of tertiary hospitals and general hospitals reached 58.4%, continuing their upward trend since 2019. In contrast, the share of clinics stood at 28.2%, showing a downward trend.

 

(By region) Seoul attracted the largest number of 73,000 international patients, or 49.8% of the total, followed by Gyeonggi (17.2%), Daegu (7.8%), Incheon (5.9%), and Busan (5.6%).

 

In detail, the share of Seoul, which attracted more than the majority of patients visiting Korea with 56.8% in the previous year, decreased to 49.8%, coupled with the share of the Seoul metropolitan area declining from 76.6% to 72.9% during the same period.

 

This seems to be attributable to the decrease in the number of international patients seeking plastic surgery and dermatology care, which are concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area. As a result, non-Seoul metropolitan areas saw increases in their shares of international patients.

 

At the same time, non-Seoul metropolitan areas, including Daegu, Ulsan, and Jeonnam, made considerable efforts to attract international patients, which led to sharp increases in their numbers, 115.0%, 204.0% and 126.1%, respectively, compared to the previous year.

 

MOHW has implemented its crisis management plan to actively respond to the plummeting number of patients coming to Korea amid the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The “fast-track procedure” for international patients with severe illnesses has been in operation since July 2020 to speed up their entry into Korea. MOHW worked with relevant ministries to shorten the visa processing time (from five weeks to one week) for severely ill international patients visiting with treatment purposes by simplifying required procedures.

 

In addition, MOHW has launched a new website and released PR documentaries targeting foreigners to promote the excellence of Korean medicine around the world.

 

The Korean government also established “the Second Comprehensive Plan to Support Overseas Expansion of Medical Services and Attraction of International Patients“ in March this year, outlining the key projects needed in attracting international patients over the next five years.

 

Under the plan, the government will diversify its efforts to attract international patients including those with severe illness, empower local authorities to be more proactive in such endeavors, and support international patient attracting agencies. At the same time, it will crack down on illegal brokers and toughen its supervision over agencies that attract international patients, unflinchingly pursuing its renewed commitment to a better and safer care for international patients.

 

Going forward, the government will implement the comprehensive plan to ensure good business practices in attracting international patients and to uphold their rights, interests, and safety.

 

Yoon Chansik, MOHW Director-General for International Cooperation, stated, “The business of attracting international patients has a positive impact on tourism as well as on medical treatment revenue. The high value-added sector can also lead to more jobs.”

 

He continued, “As more international patients are expected to come to Korea thanks to the increasingly stable COVID-19 situation at home and abroad, we will work closely with relevant ministries to promote the excellence of Korean medicine in a bid to help the nation consolidate its position as a powerhouse in the global healthcare market.”

 

//For inquiries contact Media Relations, Ministry of Health and Welfare

044-202-2047 or fairytale@korea.kr

 

http://www.mohw.go.kr/react/al/sal0301vw.jsp?PAR_MENU_ID=04&MENU_ID=0403&page=2&CONT_SEQ=371913