Treatment abroad: South Korea 

South Korea, renowned for its advanced medical technology and skilled healthcare professionals, offers exceptional services in fields such as plastic surgery, dermatology, and traditional Korean medicine, making it a sought-after destination for medical tourism.

The Korean culture is very health aware and they suffer extremely low obesity, infant mortality and heart disease compared with other nations. South Korean hospitals are modern, well-equipped and they rival many of the best hospitals in the West. As a medical tourism destination, South Korea is underrated and under-estimated by its competitors.

Coupled with relatively low prices, Korea’s highly advanced healthcare technology and procedures are gaining in popularity. For instance, health screenings in Korea may cost as little as 20% of the equivalent price in Europe and the USA.

Why consider South Korea

South Korea is growing rapidly as a first choice destination for medical tourism, and it’s easy to see why, because they make their medical tourists feel so welcome.

If you haven’t already booked your medical treatment in South Korea in advance, you’ll have the chance the moment you step off the plane at Incheon International Airport, with a Medical Tourism Information Centre right there in the arrivals lounge. Alternatively, you can visit the Medical Tourism Promotion Centre in the Korean Tourism Offices in Seoul, and get all the information you need, as well as a free blood pressure, BMI and stress test. Clearly the Korean Ministry for Health sees medical tourism as an important sector for the Korean economy.

In South Korea, the medical facilities are top notch for everyone, not just the medical tourists, with state of the art equipment backed by South Korea’s world leading IT systems. That said, there are a number of centres in the major cities that have been created especially for the medical tourist, with multi-lingual staff and a comprehensive service that includes travel, accommodation and recuperation packages at some of the country’s finest resorts.

South Korea offers a full range of medical services, but specialises in skin care and plastic surgery. There is also a fascinating mix of western and oriental medicine on offer, creating even more options for your treatment.

Overall, South Korea is a little cheaper than its Asian neighbours and good value for western tourists. What’s more the streets are safe and crime is relatively low, so you can enjoy the cities day or night without worrying.

While South Korea may not be the cheapest medical tourism destination in the world, it is certainly one of the best, with stunning facilities and world-class expertise. In a recent survey, almost 50% of respondents said that they had chosen South Korea for medical treatment because of the quality of medical service and the technology available something that cannot be said for all Asian destinations.

What’s more, the facilities are improving all the time as the South Korean government pumps significant investment into the sector. This is not only funding a world wide publicity and advertising campaign, but also providing cutting edge facilities, some even more advanced than the US or Western Europe. Dozens of new facilities have been created and hundreds of top class surgeons are being trained and recruited.

Add to this the ready availability of superb leisure facilities and resorts for your post-op recovery and recuperation, and it’s easy to see why so many people are choosing South Korea for their medical treatment. The Ministry of Health aims for 300,000 medical tourists by 2015 and there is no reason why they won’t reach that target and many more beyond.

Reasons to choose South Korea

Advanced medical healthcare market

Proactive range of facilities and information

Unrivalled quality of clinics and equipment

Significant government investment in the sector

Specialists in skin care and cosmetic surgery

20th most visited destination in the world

Healthcare in South Korea

The days when healthcare in South Korea was more M*A*S*H than modern are long gone. Today, South Korea offers world-class healthcare to both its own citizens and visitors alike.

The South Korean healthcare system is run by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and is free to all citizens at the point of delivery. The system is funded by a compulsory National Health Insurance Scheme that covers 97% of the population. Foreign nationals living in South Korea enjoy the same access to universal healthcare as the local people.

South Korean healthcare offers the choice of occidental (Western) medicine, or traditional oriental treatments, many of which have been extensively researched and developed alongside their modern counterparts. The country leads the world in the treatment of skin diseases, both in techniques and technology.

South Korean hospitals are very well equipped, with a good doctor to patient ratio, and the so-called Big Four Seoul National University Hospital, the Samsung Medical Centre, Asan medical Centre and Yonsei Severance Hospital boast some of the best facilities in the region, if not the world.

In some ways, South Korea’s rapid growth and commercialisation creates its own health problems, with environmental pollution in the larger cities a real issue. Many older Koreans also harbour chronic diseases from the days before the country really took off. Like many western nations, South Korea’s healthcare system is focussed on treatment rather than prevention, so this is likely to remain an issue for many years until the modern healthcare facilities begin to show their long term effect.

For the medical tourist, the facilities simply could not be better, with a one stop medical tourism service that starts long before you leave home. Click on www.visitkorea.or.kr and you can find everything you need for your visit, and even get an online consultation.

The Council for Korean Medicine Overseas Promotion boasts over 30 top quality facilities, while there is plenty of government support and investment for the medical tourism sector as a whole.

Transport and accommodation

South Korea has seven international airports, although some are far busier than others and some of the smaller ones are really international in name only. The main airport is Incheon International, which is around an hour outside of Seoul. Described by some as the best run airport in the world, it is a model of modern Korean IT and efficiency. Flights to South Korea take around 11 hours from Western Europe and around 12 -13 hours from the West Coast of the United States.

There are plenty of overpriced cabs waiting to take you into Seoul from Incheon, but it is faster and cheaper to take the express train, which delivers you straight into the heart of Seoul with no traffic jams or inflated tourist rates. Cheaper still are the many buses, however these will be slower and less comfortable.

National trains are run by Korail, who offer tourists a KR Pass that provides unlimited travel across the country for a set fee. The Korean rail system has been greatly improved in recent years and is a fascinating way to see the country. Within the cities there are extensive subway systems, and these are hugely preferable to the congested and polluted streets above. After all, Korean drivers are not known for their patience or their observance of traffic lights.

Given its geography, and local political tensions, it is all but impossible to get to South Korea over land. There are ferries from Japan to Busan, with a choice of either a 3 hour hydrofoil or an overnight traditional crossing.

Korean hotels are graded Super-deluxe or deluxe (5 star), first class (4 star) second class (3 star) and third class (2 star). Deluxe hotels can cost upwards of £150 / €180 / $240 per night, with first class from around £60-£120 / €70-€140 / $95-$190. Cheap third class hotels can be found from as little as £25 / €30 / $40 per night.

To meet the growing tourist demand, South Korea has also developed a number of super-luxury resorts, with bespoke facilities, first class service and unique additions and attractions that go above and beyond. These superb complexes are not cheap by any standards, but they do offer unrivalled levels of sophistication and luxury.

About South Korea

Despite living in the shadow of an ever-present threat from its belligerent neighbour, South Korea is a thriving, free and safe country that represents the very best of modern Asia. Occupying the lower half of the Korean Peninsula, South Korea leads the world in information technology production, and is a major exporter of electrical goods. It’s also the country that brought the world Gangnam Style!

South Korea is a largely mountainous country, with ranges plunging to the sea along the east coast and coastal plains along the west. It has just one land border, with North Korea to the north, which features a 2km wide demilitarised zone, or DMZ, of no-man’s land. It is close to Japan, Thailand and Singapore by air or sea and has historically been strongly influenced by its largest neighbour, China. Yet despite this mixed bag of Asian influences, South Korea has retained a strong identity of its own, with a unique outlook on life and a very different cuisine.

While it may not be top of the list for western tourists, South Korea attracts over 11 million foreign visitors every year, making it the world’s 20th most visited country. With living costs cheaper than Japan, and city streets far safer than much of Asia, there is a lot to attract visitors, both from neighbouring countries and the rest of the world.

South Korea has everything you could want in a holiday destination, from beautiful beaches, such as Haeundae Beach in Busan or the delightful Jeju Island, to ski resorts in the mountains of Kangwon-do province. Many are drawn by the bustling cities, such as the capital Seoul, while others head for the mountains for superb hiking and climbing.

South Korean cuisine is decidedly different, and can take some getting used to, combining hot, spicy chillies with generous amounts of garlic. The accompanying night life can be rather spicy too, with Karaoke bars and lots of neon the order of the day. This is the 15th largest economy in the world and they like to work hard and play hard. Think of the in-your-face styling of PSY’s worldwide hit single and you’ll have a good idea of what to expect in Seoul.

Ultra modern in places, yet charmingly ancient and oriental in others, South Korea is a fascinating place to visit, from the frenetic streets of Seoul to the pure fun of the Boryeong Mud Festival.