How Much Does a Health Checkup in Seoul Cost for Foreigners?
Samsung Medical Center's 2026 international checkup prices, why the Korean price list doesn't apply to you, how long the day takes, and when results come.
Short answer: At a large Seoul hospital, expect roughly $1,300 to $6,000. Samsung Medical Center's international packages, as listed in October 2026, run from ₩1,874,000 (about $1,340) for a man's basic package to ₩8,216,000 (about $5,870) for a woman's premium package with MRI and PET-CT. Lower prices on Korean-language pages are for people on Korean national insurance.
The few-hundred-dollar checkups on YouTube are usually domestic prices. Below are prices a hospital publishes for foreign patients, and what US-based patients reported about the day.
How much does a checkup cost at a big Seoul hospital?
Samsung Medical Center publishes its international prices in English. Its October 2026 list, at ₩1,400 to $1:
| Package | Time on site | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | 3 hours | ₩1,874,000 (~$1,340) | ₩2,323,000 (~$1,660) |
| Executive on Cancer | 5 hours | ₩2,838,000 (~$2,030) | ₩3,550,000 (~$2,540) |
| Executive | 4 hours | ₩2,990,000 (~$2,140) | ₩3,439,000 (~$2,460) |
| Premium | 7 to 8 hours | ₩7,857,000 (~$5,610) | ₩8,216,000 (~$5,870) |
Asan, Severance and Seoul St. Mary's run international centers too, but quote foreigners by email rather than online.
What's the difference between the packages?
Mostly the scopes and the scanners. Samsung describes Primary as basic essential tests. Executive on Cancer adds CT scans plus both gastroscopy and colonoscopy. Executive keeps both scopes and adds echocardiography. Premium adds MRI and PET-CT.
Single tests can be added. Samsung lists a low-dose chest CT at ₩200,000 ($145) and a brain MRI and MRA at ₩1,500,000 ($1,070). Executive plus that MRI still comes in well under Premium.
Why is the price on the Korean website lower?
Because it isn't your price. Severance's Korean checkup page lists its basic package at ₩750,000 for men and ₩800,000 for women, then notes that foreign nationals without Korean national health insurance (국민건강보험) pay an international rate, set out in a separate English brochure.
A poster on MissyUSA, a Korean-American community site, put numbers on the gap in 2023. Her American husband's Samsung package, with a sedated colonoscopy added, came to ₩1,594,000. The closest domestic package was about ₩1,365,000.
The upside: the foreign desk booked him in two days, using separate slots. Domestic patients were told two or three months.
How long does it take, and do you have to fast?
Three to eight hours at Samsung, depending on the package. And yes: at least 10 hours with no food, water, gum or smoking.
Prep starts earlier. Samsung ships a prep kit to your hotel about five days out, and asks for no alcohol or hard exercise for two to three days before, plus a restricted diet if you're having a colonoscopy.
One rule people miss: sedated endoscopy needs a companion, at Samsung and at Severance. Bring your passport and pay on the day. Samsung doesn't handle insurance claims.
What is the day actually like?
Efficient, with a lot of sitting in a gown. Korean blog reviews describe short tests in many rooms, then the endoscopy last. A 2025 Samsung reviewer said the sedated endoscopy took about an hour, mostly waiting.
The MissyUSA poster's husband arrived at 9 a.m. and was done around lunch, with an English-speaking guide. Two small polyps came out during his scope at no extra charge.
In the same thread she described an earlier checkup at KMI's Gangnam center, where a polyp was too large to remove on site and she was sent to a nearby hospital. A finding can turn one day into two.
Samsung is in Irwon-dong, southeast Seoul, far from the Sinsa clinic district.
When do you get the results, and are they in English?
Some results the same afternoon, the full consultation 7 to 14 days later. That's Samsung's stated window, not counting weekends. You can come back in person or get the report and a doctor's summary by DHL or email.
The MissyUSA couple returned after two weeks to an English-fluent physician, and got the report in Korean and English plus images on CD, free.
Don't fly home first if you can help it. A MileMoa poster in January 2025, checked outside Seoul, got an ultrasound report three weeks after returning to the US. It flagged liver nodules needing a CT, and the US estimate for that CT topped $1,000.
How do we help with a checkup trip?
We book the checkup first and build the rest of the trip around it. The Seoul Week shows how that works.
- Airport pickup, and someone with you on checkup day, which covers the sedation companion rule.
- An interpreter in the room at the results consultation, so follow-up questions get asked there.
- Bookings across hospitals, only specialist-run clinics for anything aesthetic, and no charge to you.
Frequently asked questions
Do foreigners pay more for a health checkup in Korea?
At the big hospitals, yes. Severance applies an international rate to foreigners without Korean national insurance, and a 2023 patient report put Samsung's foreign price about 17% above the closest domestic package.
How much is a basic checkup at Samsung Medical Center for a foreigner?
The Primary package is ₩1,874,000 (about $1,340) for men and ₩2,323,000 (about $1,660) for women, as of October 2026.
Can I use US insurance for a checkup in Seoul?
Not at the hospital. Samsung doesn't handle insurance claims, so you pay on the day and file yourself.
Do I need someone with me on checkup day?
For sedated endoscopy, yes, at both Samsung and Severance. You can't drive afterward.
How long do checkup results take in Korea?
Samsung's results consultation is typically 7 to 14 days after the exam, in person or by DHL or email.
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This guide is general information for people researching treatment abroad. It is not medical advice and does not establish a patient relationship. Only a licensed surgeon who has examined you can say whether a procedure is appropriate for you.