"I Want to Be as Beautiful as Korean Women": Foreigners Flock to Korea as Number of Foreign Patients Surpasses 2 Million for the First Time Last Year
by Kwak Minjae
Published 24 Apr.2026 06:00(KST)
Updated 24 Apr.2026 09:33(KST)
Ministry of Health and Welfare: 7.06 Million Cumulative Foreign Patients Since 2009, Record High for Three Consecutive Years
63% Chose Dermatology; Medical Tourism Expenditure Exceeds 12 Trillion Won
Number of Patients from China and Taiwan
Last year, the number of foreign patients visiting South Korea surpassed 2 million for the first time ever. Fueled by the global "K-beauty" trend and the growing popularity of Korean culture, demand for dermatology-centered cosmetic and non-surgical procedures surged, setting new all-time records for the third consecutive year.
According to the "2025 Performance of Foreign Patient Attraction" report released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on April 24, a total of 2.01 million foreign patients (with 2.72 million cumulative visits) from 201 countries visited Korean medical institutions last year. This marks the first time since statistics on foreign patients began being compiled in 2009 that the annual total has exceeded 2 million.
The number of foreign patients plummeted to 120,000 in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19, but rebounded sharply in the post-pandemic era: 610,000 in 2023, 1.17 million in 2024, and 2.01 million in 2025, doubling each year for three consecutive years. Since statistics began in 2009, the cumulative number of individual foreign patients visiting Korea has reached 7.06 million.
Last year, dermatology was the most popular department among foreign patients, with 1,313,000 visits, accounting for 62.9% of the total. The year-over-year growth rate was also the highest among major departments at 86.2%. This was followed by plastic surgery (233,000 visits, 11.2%), internal medicine/general medicine (192,000 visits, 9.2%), and health screening centers (65,000 visits, 3.1%). In terms of patient growth rate, dentistry (79.0%), plastic surgery (64.3%), obstetrics and gynecology (62.6%), and internal medicine/general medicine (54.9%) led the way.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare identified the worldwide popularity of K-beauty as a key driver in attracting more foreign patients. According to the "2025 Overseas Perception Survey of Korean Medical Services" conducted by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute among 7,100 general consumers in 25 cities across 16 countries, Korea's cosmetics industry ranked first for the second consecutive year among 12 leading biohealth industry countries.
By country, China and Japan accounted for 60.6% (1,219,000) of all foreign patients, followed by Taiwan (9.2%, 186,000) and the United States (8.6%, 173,000). The year-over-year growth rates exceeded double for China (137.5%) and Taiwan (122.5%). The Ministry analyzed that the surge was driven by increased demand for dermatology-based cosmetic and non-surgical procedures, the temporary introduction of a 15-day visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists (September 2025-June 2026), expanded air routes, and the recovery of tourism demand-all acting as independent factors.
The number of American patients rose by 70.4% year-over-year to 173,000, while Canadian patients increased 59.1% to 24,000. Both countries set new records since 2009. For American patients, the most-used departments were dermatology (44.3%), internal medicine/general medicine (13.2%), and plastic surgery (9.3%), indicating a broad distribution of medical services beyond just dermatology and plastic surgery.
In Southeast Asia, Indonesia (104.6%) and Malaysia (106.8%) saw particularly sharp increases. Thailand (52.3%) and Singapore (62.1%) also posted strong growth, with Singapore’s plastic surgery patient growth rate reaching 280.1%. In contrast, Russia (21.9%) and Kazakhstan (4.9%) had the lowest growth rates among the top 15 countries.
By type of medical institution, clinics accounted for the majority of usage at 87.7%, followed by general hospitals (3.6%) and tertiary hospitals (3.0%). The bed occupancy rates for foreign patients at tertiary and general hospitals both remained below 1%, far lower than the legal limits set by the Overseas Medical Advancement Act (5% and 8%, respectively).
By region, Seoul attracted 1.76 million patients, making up 87.2% of the total, followed by Busan (3.8%), Gyeonggi Province (2.7%), Jeju (2.3%), and Incheon (1.3%). Among non-capital regions, Busan (151.5%), Jeju (114.7%), and Daegu (31.4%) had the highest patient growth rates.
According to an analysis by the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade, the estimated total medical tourism expenditure by last year’s 2.01 million foreign patients and their companions was 12.5 trillion won, with medical expenditure accounting for 3.3 trillion won. This spending was calculated to have generated 10.5 trillion won in added value and an economic impact equivalent to 22.8 trillion won in domestic production.
Jeong Eunyoung, Director-General of Health Industry Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "With a record 2.01 million foreign patients attracted last year, Korea has firmly established itself as an Asian hub attracting over 1 million foreign patients annually. We will continue to build a sustainable industry ecosystem and growth foundation to promote qualitative growth and enhance the competitiveness of the foreign patient attraction industry."
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