“Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Mongolia… Emerging as Big Spenders in Korea’s Medical Tourism”

The number of foreign patients who visited Korea surpassed 1 million for the first time last year. Among them, the top three countries with the highest per-person share of credit card spending on medical expenses were Kazakhstan, Indonesia, and Mongolia—not the United States or Japan.

On the 16th, the Korea Health Industry Development Institute released the “2024 Report on Analysis of Foreign Patient Spending Patterns Based on Credit Card Data.”  

According to the report, total card spending by foreign patients in Korea last year reached 3.6647 trillion won. Of that, 1.4053 trillion won was spent at domestic medical institutions, accounting for about 40% of total card spending. 

The medical specialties most frequently used by foreign patients were dermatology and plastic surgery. Combined spending in these two specialties totaled 944.9 billion won, representing 25.8% of overall spending. By country, the total amount of foreign patients’ credit card spending ranked the United States first and Japan second.

However, when looking at per-person credit card spending by foreign patients, the top three countries were Kazakhstan (6,078,365 won), Indonesia (4,269,518 won), and Mongolia (3,673,259 won). In contrast, the United States and Japan—where both total foreign patient credit card spending and visitor counts were the highest—were outside the top 10 in per-person credit card spending, at 1,668,992 won and 992,475 won, respectively. 

This is believed to reflect differences by country in the types of medical services sought in Korea. Han Dong-woo, Director of the International Healthcare Division at the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, explained, “In particular, many people from Japan used relatively lower-priced medical services such as skin care and cosmetic procedures,” adding, “In contrast, in countries with many high-net-worth and VIP medical patients, such as Kazakhstan and Mongolia, there is a tendency to visit for treatment—such as at general hospitals and internal medicine departments—rather than for skin care or cosmetic procedures, and to spend larger amounts.” 

In fact, aesthetic dermatology procedures such as laser treatments and Botox cost about one-quarter as much in Korea as in Japan, making them popular among Japanese visitors. Meanwhile, in countries such as Mongolia and Kazakhstan, a relatively high proportion of foreign patients come to Korea for purposes such as treatment for serious illnesses and comprehensive health screenings. 

In addition to medical services, foreign patients also spent on shopping, lodging, dining out, transportation, and more. Their spending across four major sectors—department stores, restaurants, duty-free shops, and hotels—totaled 799.5 billion won. 

The institute said it hopes the results of this analysis can serve as foundational data for developing regionally specialized medical tourism models. Director Han Dong-woo of the International Healthcare Division stated, “Above all, efforts to attract foreign patients must be accompanied by qualitative growth as well as quantitative growth,” and added, “We should prioritize patient safety and trust, including preventing medical accidents, and the service standards of recruitment agencies should also be improved so they can support foreign patients during their stay in Korea.”