At 8 a.m. on the 12th, at a general hospital in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Five foreign women got out of a van parked near the entrance. They were Kadra Osman (45) of the United Kingdom, who had booked a comprehensive health checkup that day, and her family.
They arrived at Incheon International Airport two days earlier. They decided to come to Korea to experience Korean-style medical services. Osman said, "There's a lot to do, from blemish removal and teeth whitening to a scalp spa," adding, "The schedule will likely be tight until the 23rd, the day we return home."
As the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea recently hit an all-time high, medical tourism is establishing itself as a key driver. With the range of services and consumer base diversifying, analysts say overall demand itself is increasing.
◇ "Fast and accurate" K-health checkup… "an amazing experience"
After completing the health checkup that day, Osman's group agreed they had "an amazing experience." Over about three hours, they received a basic comprehensive checkup that included a chest X-ray and blood tests. They added an allergy test and a full-body MRI, bringing the cost to about 185 pounds (about 350,000 won) per person.
Osman's aunt, Anab Arish (52), rated the convenience highly. Arish said, "In the U.K., you have to get tests separately, so there are virtually no hospitals where you can get this done in a 'one-stop' way," adding, "It's also common to wait months to see a general practitioner (GP)."
Praise for the quality of service from medical staff also followed. Nima Alim (47) said, "The staff kindly explained the health checkup procedures, so I was comfortable during the tests," adding, "I will definitely recommend it to friends when I return to London."
◇ Scale of foreign medical spending up 6.6 times in seven years
Medical tourism has become a key growth pillar supporting domestic tourism performance. According to the 'Analysis of Korea's inbound and outbound tourism performance for the first half of 2026' released by Yanolja Research, first-half tourism revenue was $13.61 billion, up 31.6% from 2019 and 36.4% from a year earlier. Per-capita expenditure also rose 12.4% from a year earlier to $1,270.4.
In particular, medical tourism led the growth trend. Foreign medical spending in the first half was about 1.1931 trillion won, 6.6 times the level of the same period in 2019. It also increased 59% from the same period last year. Analysts cite longer stays and higher per-visit spending by tourists as the reasons.
Related businesses are also expanding rapidly. According to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), 2,772 companies were registered last year as foreign patient attraction businesses. That is more than double the 1,219 in 2022.
◇ Foreign media take notice… "Korea emerging as a global medical hub"
The scope of services is gradually expanding from dermatology and plastic surgery, where demand was concentrated, to other areas. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, more than 65,200 foreigners received health checkups in Korea last year. That is about a 30% increase from 2023 (more than 50,300).
Beyond Asian tourists, who were the main consumer group, English-speaking tourists also appear to be entering the market. Seo Don-gyo, head of the foreign patient attraction platform HiMedi, said, "Since COVID-19, inquiries from English-speaking customers following the 'wellness' trend have surged."
Foreign media have also taken note of the demand for medical tourism to Korea. The Guardian reported last month that more Black American women are visiting Korea for obstetrics and gynecology, dermatology, and thyroid treatment. The BBC said, "Korea is emerging as a global medical hub."
With steady growth in interest in medical tourism, the industry expects the growth trend to continue. According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), interest in medical tourism jumped from about 10% in June last year to 62% in June this year.
This indicator tallies the frequency of searches for medical tourism-related keywords on Google in the top three countries for medical tourism (Japan, the United States, Taiwan), applying weights based on last year's number of medical tourists. The higher the interest in medical tourism, the more medical tourists there will be.