For the first time, the number of foreign patients visiting South Korea surpassed 2 million last year. This significant increase was largely attributed to the implementation of a visa-free policy for Chinese group tourists in September, which more than doubled the number of Chinese medical tourists.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare reported on April 24 that 2.01 million foreign patients visited South Korea in the previous year, marking the first time the annual figure exceeded 2 million since the country began tracking foreign patient statistics in 2009. The cumulative number of foreign patients to date has reached 7.06 million.
While the number of foreign patients steadily increased from 2009 to 2019, it plummeted to 120,000 in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following a recovery period, the numbers surged post-pandemic, reaching 610,000 in 2023, 1.17 million in 2024, and 2.01 million in 2025. This trend shows a doubling each year, setting record highs for three consecutive years.
By country, China and Japan accounted for 1.219 million patients last year, representing 60.6% of all foreign patients. Taiwan followed with 186,000 patients, and the United States with 173,000.
Notably, both China (137.5%) and Taiwan (122.5%) experienced more than a twofold increase compared to the previous year, showing the highest growth rates. This surge is likely due to a combination of factors, including increased demand for cosmetic and non-surgical medical services in dermatology, the visa-free policy for Chinese tourists, expanded flight options, and a recovery in tourism demand.
The U.S. saw 173,000 patients, a 70.4% increase from 2024, while Canada experienced a 59.1% rise to 24,000 patients. Both countries recorded their highest numbers of visitors seeking medical care in South Korea since 2009.
In terms of medical specialties, dermatology led with 1.313 million patients, accounting for 62.9% of all consultations. This was followed by plastic surgery with 233,000 patients, integrated internal medicine with 192,000, and health check-up centers with 65,000.
Among medical institutions, foreign patients predominantly visited outpatient clinics (87.7%), followed by general hospitals (3.6%) and tertiary hospitals (3.0%).
An analysis by the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade estimates that the 2.01 million foreign patients and their companions spent 12.5 trillion KRW (about 8.5 billion USD) on medical tourism, with medical expenses reaching 3.3 trillion KRW (about 2.2 billion USD). This is projected to generate an economic ripple effect of 10.5 trillion KRW (about 7.1 billion USD) in added value and 22.8 trillion KRW (about 15.4 billion USD) in domestic production.
Jeong Eun-young, Director of the Health Industry Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated that as its enter an era where over 1 million annual foreign patients is the new normal, it plan to establish a sustainable industrial ecosystem and growth foundation. The aim is to promote qualitative growth in the foreign patient attraction industry and enhance its competitiveness. It will also continuously monitor the situation to ensure that the expansion of foreign patient attraction does not negatively impact the citizens’ access to medical services.