From the West for the best: How the South Korean wave is redefining aesthetics
Western tourists are flocking to South Korea for top-quality aesthetic treatments, showcasing the global pull of the country’s culture and beauty credentials. This is Part 4 of our series on Asia’s medical tourism
SOUTH Korea’s booming medical industry has been seeing new faces in recent years – not just from its famed cosmetic procedures, but also from a growing influx of Westerners. As the beauty hub gains global attention, fuelled in part by the pandemic and the rising appeal of Korean culture, the industry is seeing unprecedented growth.
In 2023, South Korea hosted some 606,000 international patients, a staggering 150 per cent jump from 248,000 in the preceding year, based on data from the country’s Ministry of Health and Welfare released in April last year. This was the highest since the nation began tracking foreign patient numbers in 2009.
More than half of the foreign patient visits at hospitals and clinics in 2023 were for dermatological treatments and plastic surgery, according to a report by the Korea Herald, citing goverment data, in October last year.
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