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INTERVIEW Medical tourism key to Korea's global competitiveness, industry chief says
Kim Jin-kuk, president of the Korea Medical Tourism Promotion Association (KMTPA), speaks during an interview with The Korea Times in Seocho District, Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of KMTPA
By Park Ung
When asked about Korea's signature export these days, most people would say semiconductors. Kim Jin-kuk has a different answer.
The president of the Korea Medical Tourism Promotion Association (KMTPA) believes that medical tourism — combined with the cosmetics, wellness, travel and health supplement industries — is already on track to become one of the country's signature products.
“There is a strong desire among foreigners to go to Korea and become beautiful,” Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times on Tuesday. “The medical tourism sector alone may be small compared to semiconductors, but combined with the surrounding cosmetics, travel, wellness and health supplement businesses, it becomes massive.”
The numbers back up that vision. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2.01 million foreign patients visited Korea last year, the highest since the country began compiling such data in 2009.
Their impact extends far beyond hospitals, with foreign medical tourists generating an estimated 22.8 trillion won ($14.6 billion) in economic ripple effects in Korea last year, according to the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade.
Kim said Korea's edge lies in a combination of clinical quality and affordability, with treatment standards exceeding those in most countries while prices remain competitive.
“That price competitiveness, built through fierce internal competition, is one of the points that sets Korea apart from other major Asian medical tourism destinations such as Japan and Indonesia," he said.
That topic is also expected to be a central theme of Thursday's K-Medical Tourism Roundtable 2026, co-hosted by the KMTPA and the Tourism Sciences Society of Korea.
“Medical tourism is a key element of Seoul's tourism competitiveness. This forum brings together voices from the field to discuss the difficulties on the ground and what policies should follow, and it also lays out a blueprint for Korea to become Asia's global medical tourism hub.”
A chief surgeon, left, talks with a Vietnamese patient at a surgery clinic in Gangnam District, Seoul, April 16, 2025. Korea Times photo by Park Ung
Seoul dominance, regional potential
Seoul drew 87.2 percent of all foreign patients, or 1.76 million people, a concentration Kim attributed to Seoul's dense infrastructure, including more than 2,000 beauty clinics packed into the capital. Busan followed with 3.8 percent and Gyeonggi Province with 2.7 percent.
But Kim believes Korea can do better for foreign patients beyond Seoul, saying the country needs to better package its regional attractions so they can experience more of Korea in one stop.
“Korea has tremendous wellness retreats in the regions. These medical tourists are among our highest-value customers. Just a little guidance would send them there, but in many cases they don't know how.”
Kim noted that many foreign patients who finish treatment in Seoul and want to see more of the country often struggle to book train tickets, and suggested the industry should create tour products that combine medical care with regional wellness experiences in a single package.
During his four years leading the KMTPA, Kim has watched many things change in the industry.
“In the early days, many came from Southeast Asia to learn skin care techniques, but more recently, they have come from Europe and the United States as well. High-end demand has also grown, with celebrities such as Kim Kardashian coming to Korea for beauty injections,” he said.
Visitors bustle around Olive Young Central Myeongdong Town in Jung District, Seoul, during the Olive Young sale in June. Courtesy of CJ Olive Young
Growing high-end demand
Kim said that high-end demand has also reshaped where medical tourists go once their treatment ends, with many now heading to pharmacies or health and beauty stores such as Olive Young, seeking high-functionality cosmetics and health supplements.
“Korea is shifting from simple cosmetics and supplements toward such products, with foreigners eager to take Korean beauty home and buying it in bulk.”
Despite the sector's growth, Kim said one major obstacle persists — the language barrier.
“The biggest inconvenience for foreign medical tourists is language. Fluency alone does not qualify someone to handle consultations in fields such as dermatology, plastic surgery, checkups, hair, dentistry or ophthalmology. Interpreters need specialized terminology, not just language skills,” he said.
Kim suggested professionally training foreign students — many of whom already interpret informally at clinics — and creating an official pathway for them to become certified medical interpreters.
He also called for a national certification system with tiers for foreign beauty professionals who come to Korea to learn these techniques.
“Rather than simply training and leaving, certified professionals could refer patients to Korea while working in their home countries, then return periodically for further training and advance to a higher tier,” Kim said. “Korea needs to build this virtuous cycle quickly.”