Korea Sets Record with 1.17 Million International Patients in 2024
Korea welcomed 1.17 million international patients in 2024 — nearly double the 2023 figure and the highest annual total since national tracking began in 2009 — driven by surging demand for dermatology, wellness, and health screening services across Asia and North America.
Overview
Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that 1.17 million international patients visited Korea in 2024 — a 93.2% increase over the 610,000 recorded in 2023, and the highest annual figure since national tracking began in 2009. The cumulative total of international patients who have visited Korea since 2009 now stands at 5.05 million.
Recovery and Record Growth
Following a sharp decline to 120,000 patients in 2020 due to COVID-19, Korea's international patient numbers have recovered steadily:
- 2023: 610,000 patients
- 2024: 1.17 million patients (+93.2%)
The 2024 figure marks the first time Korea has surpassed one million international patients in a single year.
Top Countries of Origin
Patients arrived from 202 countries in 2024. The top five were Japan, China, the United States, Taiwan, and Thailand.
- Japan and China together accounted for 60.0% of all patients (702,000)
- United States: 102,000 patients (+32.2% — highest since 2009)
- Taiwan: 83,000 patients (+550.6% — jumped from 9th to 4th place)
- Canada: 15,000 patients (+58.3% — highest since 2009)
Taiwan posted the highest growth rate of any country, increasing more than sixfold, driven primarily by dermatology visits (up 1,017.0%).
US Patient Profile
American patients continued to show notably diverse care preferences:
- Dermatology: 33.0%
- Internal medicine: 14.3%
- Health screening: 9.7%
This breadth of specialty usage distinguishes US patients from other nationalities and reflects growing interest in comprehensive wellness care, not just aesthetic treatments.
Southeast Asia
- Singapore: +97.5% (27,000 patients) — highest since 2009, strongest growth in Southeast Asia
- Thailand: +23.7% (38,000 patients) — highest since 2009
Dermatology and internal medicine drove growth across the region, with Singapore's dermatology visits up 210.1% year-over-year.
Top Specialties
Dermatology dominated, accounting for 56.6% of all international patient visits (705,000). The full ranking:
- Dermatology — 705,000 (56.6%)
- Plastic surgery — 11.4%
- Internal medicine — 10.0%
- Health screening — 4.5%
Year-over-year growth was led by dermatology (+194.9%), traditional Korean medicine (+84.6%), and internal medicine (+36.4%).
According to the 2024 Korean Healthcare Services Global Perception Survey (6,800 respondents across 15 countries and 22 cities), Korea ranked first among 19 competing nations in the cosmetics and biohealth industry — a factor closely linked to rising international interest in Korean dermatology and wellness services.
Where Patients Went
Seoul attracted 85.4% of all international patients (1 million), home to 1,994 registered international patient facilities (63.2% of the national total).
Outside Seoul, the strongest growth came from:
- Jeju: +221.0% (dermatology up 781.4%)
- Busan: +133.6% (dermatology +674.0%, plastic surgery +127.8%)
- Chungbuk: +116.1%
Clinic-Level Care
82.0% of international patients visited clinic-level facilities rather than large hospitals — a trend that reflects the high quality and accessibility of Korea's local medical infrastructure, and one that aligns directly with KRACE's focus on connecting international patients with trusted local clinics and health screening centers.
What This Means for KRACE
The 2024 data confirms the exact trends KRACE is built around:
- US patients are Korea's third-largest international patient group, visiting for dermatology, internal medicine, and health screenings
- Clinic-level facilities serve the vast majority of international patients
- English-speaking patients from North America need end-to-end coordination — booking, language support, payment, and aftercare — that large hospitals rarely provide and that local clinics cannot build alone
KRACE bridges this gap, providing the infrastructure that enables local Korean clinics to serve international patients at scale.
Official Statement
"Through the International Patient Attraction Strategy announced in May 2023, we were able to achieve our 2027 target of 700,000 patients ahead of schedule," said Jung Eun-young, Director of Health Industry Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare. "We will continue to expand government support and refine regulations to build a sustainable ecosystem for this high-value industry — while monitoring carefully to ensure that growth in international patient volumes does not reduce the quality of care available to Korean residents."