Dr. Kim Woong-Han of the Pediatric Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery Department at Seoul National University (SNU) Hospital on Sept. 14, 2023, examines Sai Ko Ko, a child from Myanmar who received surgery at the facility for a congenital heart defect. (SNU Hospital)

By Yoo Yeon Gyeong

Foreign tourists in Korea for medical services and tourism picked the country for its outstanding medical technology and effective treatment rather than reasonable prices, a survey says.

The Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) on Aug. 7 said this in releasing the results of a study on foreign perceptions of domestic medical services conducted last year from Nov. 25 to Dec. 18 on 6,800 adults in 22 cities of 15 countries such as the U.S., China and Japan.

KHIDI found that 18.2% (1,239) of respondents said they visited Korea for medical services or tourism.

On why they chose the country, the top response was "outstanding medical technology and effective treatment" (54.9%), followed by "cutting-edge medical equipment and facilities" (49.2%), "famous hospitals" (37.9%) and "adequate prices" (35.7%).

Among those who had visited Korea before, 59.8% (4,064) said they plan to come again for medical services and tourism.

dusrud21@korea.kr