South Korea recorded over 2 million foreign medical tourists in 2025, marking a 71.9 percent surge from the previous year, according to an annual report by the state-run Korea Health Industry Development Institute. A total of 2.01 million foreigners visited the country for medical, dental, and surgical care, underscoring the country's rapidly growing stature as a global healthcare destination.

Which Countries Are Driving the Surge

Visitors from China led the inflow at 618,000, accounting for 30.8 percent of all foreign medical tourists. They were followed closely by Japan at 600,000, Taiwan at 185,000, and the United States at 173,000. The spread across multiple regions signals that South Korea's medical appeal is no longer confined to its immediate neighbours.

Where Patients Are Seeking Treatment

Dermatology clinics attracted the largest share of visitors, with 459,000 Chinese patients and 399,000 Japanese patients receiving treatment. At plastic surgery clinics, Japanese patients topped the count at 97,000, followed by 57,000 Chinese patients. The dominance of skin and cosmetic procedures reflects a broader regional trend of medical tourism intersecting with beauty culture.

Spending Data Paints a Robust Picture

Separate data from the Korea Tourism Organization showed that foreign medical tourists spent 213.08 billion won (approximately US$154.35 million) in July alone, up 66.5 percent from the same month a year earlier. Notably, the monthly spending figure remained above 200 billion won for five consecutive months from March through July. By country, Chinese visitors led with 57.7 billion won, followed by Americans at 44 billion won and Japanese at 28.5 billion won.

Spending was heavily concentrated in Seoul, which captured 86.8 percent of total medical tourist expenditure. Busan followed at 6.4 percent and Gyeonggi Province at 3.7 percent. By type of establishment, dermatology clinics accounted for 54.9 percent of spending, with plastic surgery clinics at 19.3 percent and pharmacies at 12.9 percent.

Expert View: Why South Korea Is Winning

Yoon Ji-hwan, a professor at Kyung Hee University, attributed the growth to a convergence of factors. 'This is the result of the growing perception that South Korea's medical technology is world-class, combined with the fact that major hospitals and clinics have established multilingual guidance systems and improved the convenience of treatment,' he said. The infrastructure investment in patient-facing services — including translation support and streamlined appointment systems — has clearly lowered barriers for first-time international visitors.

What This Means for the Region

South Korea's medical tourism boom comes amid intensifying competition from Thailand, Singapore, and India, all of which have invested heavily in attracting international patients. The 71.9 percent year-on-year jump suggests South Korea has pulled decisively ahead in the dermatology and cosmetic surgery segments. With spending momentum sustained across five consecutive months, the sector is on track to set fresh records through the remainder of 2025.