How Many Foreigners Get Medical Treatment in Korea?
Korea's official 2025 count: 2,011,822 foreign patients, including 173,363 Americans and 23,624 Canadians. What they came for (mostly dermatology), how many had plastic surgery, and what the numbers mean if you're planning a trip.
Short answer: 2,011,822 in 2025, according to Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare, the first year above two million and up from 1,170,467 in 2024. Americans were the fourth-largest group at 173,363, up 70.4%. Dermatology accounted for about 63% of department visits and plastic surgery about 11%, roughly 233,000.
Korea has counted foreign patients since 2009, when it started registering the clinics allowed to treat and recruit them. Those registered clinics report every foreign patient, and the ministry publishes the total each spring. The 2025 numbers came out on April 24, 2026.
Where do Korea's foreign patients come from?
Mostly from nearby. China and Japan together made up about 60%.
| Country | Patients in 2025 | Share |
|---|---|---|
| China | 618,973 | 30.8% |
| Japan | 600,009 | 29.8% |
| Taiwan | 185,715 | 9.2% |
| United States | 173,363 | 8.6% |
| Canada | 23,624 | 1.2% |
The US count was the highest since records began and up from 101,733 a year earlier. Canada grew 59.1%. Patients came from 201 countries in all.
What do foreigners get treated for in Korea?
Skin, overwhelmingly. Dermatology had 1,312,700 patients, 62.9% of department visits. Plastic surgery came second with 233,100 (11.2%).
The shares are counted by department visit, and one person can see two departments, so they don't add up neatly against the patient total.
The skin boom is new. Dermatology and plastic surgery together were 52% of foreign visits in 2023, 68% in 2024 and 74.1% in 2025. Our skin clinic visit guide explains what one looks like.
Are Americans different?
Yes, noticeably. Only 53.6% of American department visits were dermatology or plastic surgery, the lowest of the top five countries. For Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese and Thai patients the figure was above 80%.
The rest are spread across internal medicine and other departments. If you're planning a full health checkup alongside something cosmetic, you're in good company.
Where in Korea are they treated?
Seoul, by a wide margin. 1,755,002 patients, 87.2%, were treated there in 2025. Seoul also has 62.5% of the 2,555 facilities registered to treat foreign patients.
Most went to small clinics (의원급): 87.7% of patients, against 3.0% at the large tertiary hospitals. Dental clinics had only 1.6% of patients but grew fastest, up 128.9%.
What do these numbers mean for you?
Mainly that clinics in Gangnam are used to foreign patients. Interpreters, foreign-patient coordinators and English paperwork are routine at registered clinics.
It also means demand is high. Popular surgeons book up, which matters for how far ahead you book. And a big number is no guarantee about any single clinic, which is why the checks in is plastic surgery in Korea safe? still apply.
How we help
- Free, itemized quotes from 2–3 specialist clinics registered to treat foreign patients.
- Airport pickup and an interpreter in the consultation room.
- Scheduling across hospitals, so a checkup, skin treatment and surgery fit into one trip.
Ask for free quotes from the form below.
Frequently asked questions
How many foreign patients visited Korea in 2025?
2,011,822, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. It was the first year above two million, up from 1,170,467 in 2024.
How many Americans get medical treatment in Korea?
173,363 in 2025, up 70.4% from 101,733 in 2024 and the highest since records began in 2009.
What is the most common treatment for foreigners in Korea?
Dermatology, with 62.9% of department visits in 2025. Plastic surgery was second at 11.2%, about 233,100.
Where do most foreign patients get treated in Korea?
In Seoul: 87.2% of foreign patients in 2025, mostly at small clinics.
Do Americans mostly go to Korea for cosmetic treatment?
About half. 53.6% of American department visits were dermatology or plastic surgery, the lowest share among the top five countries.
Get free, itemized quotes from 2–3 specialist clinics
Two taps and an email address. We ask clinics run by board-certified specialists for line-by-line quotes and the dates they can take you, and email them to you, usually within two business days. Free, and no obligation.
Keep reading
- How Do You Get Around Seoul After Surgery?
Taxis, not the subway, for the first week: which taxi apps work with a US phone and card (Uber, K.Ride, Kakao T), what Seoul's meter charges in 2026, the International Taxi from Incheon, and why the hotel should be close to the clinic.
- Do You Need a Medical Visa for Surgery in Korea?
Americans get 90 days visa-free in Korea and Canadians six months, which covers almost any cosmetic trip. When the C-3-3 and G-1-10 medical visas actually matter, and what they ask for.
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.