South Korea’s Medical Tourism Booms but Needs Quality Shift: Report Suggests K-MTA, Diversification
Creatrip Team
4 months ago
A Yanolja Research report finds South Korea’s medical tourism arrivals surged to 1.17 million in 2024 — about 235% of pre-pandemic (2019) levels — driven by K-culture, competitive prices and rising demand from aging countries. Average per-patient spending was $2,408, underscoring high value. However, the growth is uneven: 85.4% of foreign patients went to Seoul and 77.3% of spending concentrated in cosmetic and dermatology treatments. Critically, visits for serious, need-driven conditions (cancer, cardiac disease) remain below 2019 levels (e.g., foreign cancer patients fell to 7,147). Patient trust in clinical skill is high, but convenience, foreign-patient services and aftercare score low. The report recommends creating a strong central body (proposed “K-MTA” — Korea Medical Tourism Authority), shifting from a registration to a strict certification system for providers, mandatory standard contracts, a “K-Smart” remote follow-up system for returning patients (non-treatment consultations), development of recovery-focused tourism packages linking treatment with local wellness (spas, forest therapy), and an integrated platform covering search–booking–treatment–tourism–aftercare. Researchers urge diversifying beyond K-beauty and Seoul to capture need-driven medical travelers and spread tourism benefits regionally.
