S. Korea sees surge in foreign patients for beauty care, plastic surgery

Plastic surgery and dermatology clinics line the street near Sinsa Station in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul (Park Jun-hee/The Korea Herald)

South Korean hospitals and clinics have seen a surge in patients from overseas since the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly for plastic surgery and skin care, according to government data on Tuesday.

A total of 239,060 and 114,074 international patients received dermatological treatments and plastic surgery, respectively, accounting for nearly 52 percent of the 678,799 foreign nationals in South Korea who received medical services at hospitals and clinics in 2023. The figures are from the Health Ministry's report on foreign patients submitted to Rep. Nam In-soon of the Democratic Party of Korea.

The data did not provide further information on which nationalities were more frequent users of beauty services here.

Overall, however, the percentage of foreign patients who underwent plastic surgery rose by 26 percent, from 90,494 patients in 2019 to 114,074 in 2023. Similarly, the number of patients who received dermatological treatments saw a three-fold increase in the same period, jumping from 85,194 to 239,060.

Others came to Korea to visit dentists, ophthalmologists and orthopedic doctors.

Rep. Nam suggested that the concentration on beauty care tourism could lead to a decline in the quality of health care services.

"We need to achieve balanced growth in a variety of medical specialties, such as treatments for serious illnesses, and enhance the country's international competitiveness in a diverse range of medical fields to attract foreign patients," Rep. Nam said.

By Park Jun-hee(junheee@heraldcorp.com)