⑤ The Belief That “Big Hospitals in Seoul Are Different” Fueled by Lack of Information

Age of Both Men and Women Greatly Affects Fertility

The Success of Infertility Procedures Is a Race Against Time

No Official Statistics on Pregnancy Success Rates

Word-of-Mouth Drives Patients to Major Hospitals in the Seoul Metropolitan Area

"I thought it was better to go straight to a well-known 'major hospital.' The goal of undergoing IVF at an infertility clinic is to get pregnant, after all. Rather than going through the emotional and physical hardship of trying once or twice at a local clinic, I decided to go to Seoul from the beginning to increase my chances. Most of my acquaintances also started at local clinics and then transferred."

Park Juhyun (alias, 40), who lives in a town in Gangwon Province with a population of less than 5,000, explained why she started IVF in Seoul. Married for four years, she began IVF in January last year. As a 13-year employee, she even took a leave of absence this year for IVF because balancing work and treatment for a year was physically and professionally exhausting. The nearest local infertility clinic was in Wonju, an hour away by car, so she thought it would be better to go to a “skilled” hospital in Seoul.

The reason infertile couples from the provinces choose to come to Seoul for treatment is clear: to achieve pregnancy as quickly as possible. Experts say that the success of infertility procedures is a race against time, as studies show that age greatly affects fertility in both men and women. If there were skilled hospitals in the region, there would be no need to travel far, but anxious patients are swayed by the perception that “pregnancy success rates are higher at Seoul hospitals.” Major hospitals with dozens of infertility specialists, such as Maria Hospital and CHA Hospital, are mostly based in the Seoul metropolitan area. There is no official channel to confirm pregnancy success rates, but patients head to these so-called “major hospitals” based on word-of-mouth.

"Isn't it more likely that the top national scorer will come from academies where many high-achieving students attend? It could be that good results come from having many people gathered there. However, when you're anxious right away, you can't help but rely on that. There is only one person who succeeded at a local hospital, but you see several cases of success at major hospitals. Naturally, you want to belong to a place with higher chances."

Lack of information fuels the trend of infertile couples flocking to the Seoul metropolitan area. In the process of choosing a hospital, couples obtain information through unofficial channels such as personal blogs, online communities, YouTube, and acquaintances. Large, well-known hospitals have many patients sharing their experiences online, including information about medical staff and commonly used procedures, which naturally increases their visibility to prospective patients. In contrast, local hospitals with fewer patients rarely have such online testimonials.

Choi Yoonji (32), a resident of Jeju Island married for two years, is six months pregnant after conceiving through artificial insemination in April. Due to the burden of travel, she decided to start treatment in Jeju, but there was only one option?the only hospital on the island that offered both artificial insemination and IVF. Even within the same region, it took three hours round trip from her home to the hospital. Yoonji said she regularly visited local mom cafes to gather information. When rumors spread that a new infertility clinic was coming to Jeju, someone would contact the city or public health center to obtain and share related information. She also researched Seoul hospitals in case she needed to transfer after a failed attempt.

"At first, it was hard to find information. I relied on portal searches and local online communities. People who receive treatment at local clinics tend to worry about the hospital's technical capabilities and whether their equipment is up to date. Even if you're dissatisfied, there's nothing you can do. Many people are afraid of wasting precious time at local clinics and missing the right window of opportunity."

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According to a 2021 survey by the Korean Women's Development Institute of about 600 women who underwent infertility procedures, over 80% of respondents cited the internet or acquaintances as their source of information when choosing a specialized infertility clinic. The overwhelming majority also said they obtained information about infertility procedures through online blogs or communities.

Due to the lack of information, reputation tends to be equated with skill. The provincial infertile couples interviewed by the reporter strongly believed that well-known hospitals excelled in embryo culture technology, which they considered the most important factor for achieving pregnancy through IVF.

When several infertility specialists were asked whether there was a significant difference in embryo culture technology between major hospitals and local clinics, opinions varied. One specialist at a large hospital said, “In the absence of a standard to measure culture technology, I believe hospitals that perform a certain number of procedures per year have similar pregnancy success rates.” Another specialist said that differences in technology are inevitable when there are more experienced medical staff and lab technicians. He added, “The average pregnancy success rate at domestic infertility centers is 25-30%, but it varies significantly by center, ranging from 20% to 65%.”

In a situation where even medical professionals offer conflicting opinions, infertile couples with limited information and knowledge have no choice but to head to well-known hospitals reputed for their embryo culture technology.

The exterior of Maria Women's Hospital. Photo by Yongjun Cho jun21@

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Provincial couples who visit infertility clinics in Seoul usually transfer to a delivery hospital once they become pregnant. It is difficult to continue regular checkups in Seoul as their bodies grow heavier each month, and it is impossible to respond to sudden labor when the hospital is far away. Women who become pregnant through infertility procedures are more likely to be high-risk mothers due to advanced age or multiple pregnancies, which makes choosing a delivery hospital even more difficult. Infertile women living in areas with a shortage of delivery hospitals face the challenge of finding information. In the end, they often turn to university hospitals, which serve as the “major hospitals” in the provinces.

Both Yoonji, who is expecting to give birth this year, and Juhyun, who is still undergoing infertility treatment while dreaming of a future with her child, shared their concerns about delivery hospitals with the reporter. Yoonji said, “Compared to the mainland, there are relatively few options. I am currently attending a hospital 40 minutes away by car. If I am classified as a high-risk mother, I think I will have to go to Jeju National University Hospital.”

Juhyun recounted her disappointment after rushing to the only OB-GYN in a nearby city last year due to sudden bleeding, only to find poor facilities and inadequate care. “When I think about actually giving birth, I'm scared. You never know when labor will start. I just can't trust a delivery hospital with only one specialist. I want to go somewhere with at least two specialists. Since I'm of advanced maternal age, I wonder if a university hospital is my only option.”