Seoul launches certification for “medical-friendly” hotels as foreign healthcare demand grows

Seoul will begin selecting hotels and other lodging facilities suited to foreign patients’ recovery and extended stays amid a surge in the number of people visiting Korea for medical treatment, the city government said Sunday. Applications open Monday for the “Seoul Medical-Friendly Accommodation” designation, which aims to help foreign patients and their families find suitable places to stay before, during and after treatment. The initiative comes amid a sharp increase in foreign demand for medical services in Korea. The number of foreign patients treated at medical institutions nationwide rose 71.9 percent on-year to a record 2.01 million in 2025, surpassing 2 […]...Keep on reading: Seoul to designate patient-friendly hotels as medical tourism surges

Long drawn by Seoul’s reputation for world-class specialized medical care, cutting-edge cosmetic procedures and advanced health screenings, hundreds of thousands of international patients fly into the city each year. But for many, the true challenge begins after stepping out of the clinic as they search for a comfortable, accessible sanctuary while they recover. Recognizing that modern health care tourism extends far beyond hospital walls, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Tourism Organization jointly announced a novel municipal initiative to create the city’s first officially designated list of "medical-friendly lodging." According to national tourism data,medical expenditures by non-residents reached 213.1 billion won ($158.4 million) in July 2026 alone, marking a massive 66.5 percent year-on-year jump. In 2025, the number of international patients visiting Korean health care facilities surged past two million for the first time, hitting 2.01 million — a 71.9 percent increase from the previous year. Seoul remains the center of the center of this boom in medical touris