Korean medicine attracting more foreigners
Visitors to KCON Japan 2018 check out the Korean traditional promotion booth. / Courtesy of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI)
By Jung Da-min
The number of foreigners visiting Korea for traditional medical treatments is increasing, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Tuesday.
A total of 18,011 foreigners visited traditional Korean medicine hospitals in 2016, up 36 percent from the previous year. The number accounted for 4.2 percent of 425,380 medical tourists.
Of all medical tourists, the proportion of those seeking traditional medicine has been rising since 2014.
In 2016, 15.4 percent of Japanese medical tourists visited traditional Korean medicine hospitals. This was second only to those who sought dermatology treatments (44 percent).
The so-called wellness tour programs are becoming popular with Japanese, with many seeking traditional treatments.
The Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), in collaboration with the health ministry, held exhibitions for the Korean Medicine Project in Japan, in Tokyo this year and last year, and in Osaka in 2016.
The ministry and KHIDI operated a traditional medicine booth at KCON Japan 2018 in Tokyo on April 13 to 15, run by CJ E&M.
According to the government, more than 1,200 people visited the booth during the three-day event. The visitors were from Japan, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
The United Arab Emirates stands out. UAE medical tourists to Korea spent an average 11.94 million won ($11,175.8) in 2016, by far the highest per capita.
About 5.4 percent received traditional treatment.
Korea's traditional medicine industry has been strengthening its programs for foreigners. The programs include skincare, health diets and treatments for women.
Foreign medical tourism has also been rising, with a 14.8 percent year-on-year increase in visitors in 2016.