The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Kim Da-mi, Jeon So-nee team up for coming-of-age film 'Soulmate'

  • 3

    Park Hyung-sik to play crown prince in tvN series 'Our Blooming Youth'

  • 5

    Discussions on raising age for free subway rides gain momentum

  • 7

    Too many emergency text alerts? Gov't to halt daily COVID-19 notifications

  • 9

    First lady expands presence in domestic politics

  • 11

    'Ant-Man 3' promises bigger, better action with same family dynamic: cast

  • 13

    Seoul to discuss reforming free transportation benefits for seniors

  • 15

    FSC OKs Apple Pay to be available in Korea

  • 17

    Yoon's office to press charges over report on fortune teller

  • 19

    US reaffirms nuclear security assurances to South Korea

  • 2

    Teens feel peer pressure to buy luxury goods endorsed by K-pop stars

  • 4

    Itaewon tragedy's bereaved families harassed by far-right protesters

  • 6

    SM to introduce multi-production system to increase business capabilities

  • 8

    Plan to construct new memorial center for ex-president faces backlash

  • 10

    Ex-justice minister gets 2-year prison term for academic irregularities surrounding family

  • 12

    Families of Itaewon crowd stampede victims clash with police over installation of memorial altar

  • 14

    Apple Pay can be launched in Korea: financial regulator

  • 16

    Naver to roll out conversational AI service

  • 18

    Able C&C sale attracts dozens of potential buyers

  • 20

    Naver 2022 net profit down 96% on one-off factor

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Sun, February 5, 2023 | 16:26
-------------------------
Korea plans to focus on medical tourism
Posted : 2014-11-03 17:35
Updated : 2017-04-27 15:57
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
By Jung Min-ho

Korea aims to quadruple the number of foreigners visiting here for medical purposes to 1 million by 2020 with the main focus of advertising being the Middle East, the nation's top health officer said in a recent interview.

"The number of medical tourists is expected to reach 250,000 this year," Health and Welfare Minister Moon Hyung-pyo said. "Our goal is to see 1 million medical tourists in a year by 2020."

Moon said this all depends on the Middle East.

"The Middle East countries offer huge opportunities for Korea. Although they make enormous money exporting oil globally, they depend highly on overseas medical services because of a lack of infrastructure there," he said.

"About 120,000 people from the UAE and 200,000 from Saudi Arabia visit other countries annually to get medical treatment," the minister said.

Medical tourism is a major growth business for Korea.

Amounting to 60,201 in 2009, medical tourists soared to 122,297 in 2011 and 211,218 last year. Revenue jumped to 393.4 billion won ($368 million) last year from 54.7 billion won in 2009.

Contrary to popular belief, cosmetic surgery only accounted for 8.6 percent or 24,075 out of a total of 211,218 medical tourists.

Internal medicine accounted for 68,453 cases or 24.4 percent, followed by 28,135 medical examinations and 25,101 for dermatological help.

"The portion of foreigners visiting the country to get plastic surgery is expected to decrease as Korean hospitals are diversifying their services in response to rising demand from foreign patients," Moon said.

There is still a great deal of potential for growth, he said.

"Many Middle Eastern countries are flush with oil dollars but lack top-rated medical services," he said.

Last month, Moon and Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, chairman of Health Authority-Abu Dhabi agreed to upgrade the Korean medical license from "Tier 1" to "Tier 2."

This means Korean doctors will need only three years' clinical experience in Korea to work as physicians in Abu Dhabi. Before the deal, the requirement was eight years.

"The deal will put Korean doctors on equal footing as American ones over there," Moon said.

In August, Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) signed a contract to manage a medical center in Abu Dhabi.

The hospital will manage a budget of 1 trillion won ($987 million), which covers 65,000 square meters and has 248 beds.

"The success of SNUH is critical, which will breed other successes. If not, the image (of Korean medical services) will be damaged," he said.

According to the ministry's data, the chance that stomach cancer patients here remain alive for the first five years is 65.3 percent, while those in the United States is 26 percent. For liver cancer patients, the chance here is 25.1 percent, whereas it's 13.6 percent there.

"There are reasons why people around the world keep visiting Korea for medical services. It will become like our televisions that are dominating the global market. They know Korea offers better services at cheaper costs," Moon said.

"Ultimately whether we can do it or not depends on the private sector," he said. "What we can do is to leave a way open for expansion by removing unnecessary regulations and improving cooperation with other countries."

Korean companies' overseas expansion is also happening in the fields of pharmaceuticals and medicine, he said.

Since October, Ecuador has recognized the approval of Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to import Korean drugs. Last year, Boryung Pharm's Kanarb Tab high blood pressure medication broke into the Mexican market.

Despite the achievements, Moon said, the English ability of Korean medical personnel has become a problem.

"When Korean nurses visited the UAE last month, many of them failed to pass the test for their license because their English wasn't good enough," he said.

The ministry will try to help them by opening specialized courses at the Korea Human Resource Development Institute for Health & Welfare.

Meanwhile, he talked about the nation's readiness against the ongoing Ebola epidemic.

The minister said he "cannot sleep well" nowadays because of concerns over the world's worst Ebola epidemic, which has killed nearly 5,000 people in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

"Korea is not safe from the disease. In fact, no country is," he said. "It's simply impossible to monitor every visitor from other countries, and it's not the right thing to do diplomatically, either."

He said the ministry is preparing for the "worst case scenario."

"We are trying our best to prevent it," he said. "One of the things we have done is to check visitors daily from the Ebola-hit countries in the first 21 days, which some countries are still hesitant to do."

Emailmj6c2@ktimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
Top 10 Stories
1Teens feel peer pressure to buy luxury goods endorsed by K-pop starsTeens feel peer pressure to buy luxury goods endorsed by K-pop stars
2Itaewon tragedy's bereaved families harassed by far-right protesters Itaewon tragedy's bereaved families harassed by far-right protesters
3Discussions on raising age for free subway rides gain momentum Discussions on raising age for free subway rides gain momentum
4Too many emergency text alerts? Gov't to halt daily COVID-19 notifications Too many emergency text alerts? Gov't to halt daily COVID-19 notifications
5Plan to construct new memorial center for ex-president faces backlash Plan to construct new memorial center for ex-president faces backlash
6First lady expands presence in domestic politics First lady expands presence in domestic politics
7FSC OKs Apple Pay to be available in Korea FSC OKs Apple Pay to be available in Korea
8Naver to roll out conversational AI service Naver to roll out conversational AI service
9Able C&C sale attracts dozens of potential buyersAble C&C sale attracts dozens of potential buyers
10US reaffirms nuclear security assurances to South KoreaUS reaffirms nuclear security assurances to South Korea
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Kim Da-mi, Jeon So-nee team up for coming-of-age film 'Soulmate'Kim Da-mi, Jeon So-nee team up for coming-of-age film 'Soulmate'
2Park Hyung-sik to play crown prince in tvN series 'Our Blooming Youth'Park Hyung-sik to play crown prince in tvN series 'Our Blooming Youth'
3'Ant-Man 3' promises bigger, better action with same family dynamic: cast 'Ant-Man 3' promises bigger, better action with same family dynamic: cast
4[INTERVIEW] Disney+ 'Big Bet' director on portraying greed and desireINTERVIEWDisney+ 'Big Bet' director on portraying greed and desire
5TXT, Le Sserafim top Oricon album and singles chart TXT, Le Sserafim top Oricon album and singles chart
DARKROOM
  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

  • World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

    World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group