Cosmetic surgery tourism hits record high in Korea, despite ongoing healthcare crisis < Policy < Article

Despite Korea’s ongoing medical crisis, which has lasted for eight months, the number of foreign patients seeking cosmetic surgery in the country has reached a record high.

According to data submitted by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute to Rep. Kim Nam-hee and Rep. Nam In-soon of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, foreign medical tourism has surged post-COVID-19, particularly in dermatology and plastic surgery, raising concerns about its negative impact on essential healthcare services.

The number of foreign patients visiting Korea increased from 266,501 in 2014 to 605,768 in 2023, marking a 2.3-fold rise over the past decade.

Japan leads the way, with 187,711 Japanese patients seeking treatment in 2023—a staggering 13-fold increase from 14,336 in 2014. China follows with 112,135 patients, while the U.S. ranks third with 76,925.

However, the data showed that the rapid growth of foreign patients is primarily concentrated in smaller clinics, where patient numbers surged from 63,953 in 2014 to 402,674 in 2023—a 6.3-fold increase.

In contrast, the number of foreign patients at major general hospitals declined by more than 20 percent, from 82,578 in 2014 to 64,057 in 2023. The demand for traditional Korean medicine services also rose, with the number of foreign patients visiting Korean medicine clinics increasing from 5,892 in 2014 to 14,755 in 2023.

Also, the rise in medical tourism is particularly evident in the cosmetic surgery field.

Data provided by Nam revealed that the number of value-added tax (VAT) refunds for foreign cosmetic surgery patients reached a record 413,276 cases by June 2024, already surpassing the previous year’s total of 383,665.

Since the VAT refund system for foreign patients was introduced in April 2016, over 1.2 million refunds, totaling 146.7 billion won ($107 million), have been processed.

The surge in cosmetic procedures began after the pandemic, with the number of foreign cosmetic surgery patients increasing more than sevenfold between 2022 and 2023, from 52,552 to 383,665.

Popular procedures in the first half of 2024 included skin rejuvenation, whitening, anti-aging treatments, and pore therapy, which accounted for 62,683 cases.

Other common procedures included wrinkle removal (23,740 cases), double eyelid surgery (14,213 cases), and lipolysis (5,910 cases).

Japan is also the leading source of foreign patients seeking cosmetic surgery in Korea, accounting for 43.6 percent of all such patients between 2019 and 2023, followed by China (31.2 percent), the U.S. (11.6 percent), Thailand (11.4 percent), and Mongolia (2.2 percent).

While the boom in cosmetic surgery tourism brings economic benefits, it has raised alarms among policymakers.

Nam expressed concerns that the expansion of the cosmetic surgery market could further drive doctors away from essential medical fields, exacerbating the country’s ongoing healthcare crisis.

“The continued growth of the cosmetic surgery industry, coupled with rising salaries for doctors in this sector, could lead to an exodus of medical professionals from essential healthcare fields, distorting the broader healthcare system,” Nam said.

Similarly, Kim highlighted the impact of this trend on Korea’s healthcare system, particularly the potential drain of resources from essential and public healthcare services.

“The sharp rise in foreign patients seeking dermatology and plastic surgery could divert medical professionals away from vital healthcare sectors,” she said. “

Both lawmakers have called for policies to strengthen essential healthcare services and ensure that healthcare professionals remain in critical fields.

Nam also called for a reconsideration of the VAT refund system, which is currently extended until 2025.

“While the VAT refund system was initially introduced as a temporary measure, it has been extended multiple times, with refunds now totaling to about 150 billion won,” she said. “This creates tax inequality between foreign and Korean patients and worsens the strain on the healthcare system.”