Seoul Draws 1.76 Million Foreign Patients... Now Focusing on "Where to Stay After Treatment"

Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul Tourism Foundation Select 19 Medical-Friendly Accommodations for First Time
Foreign Patients in Seoul Increase 3.7-Fold in Two Years... Seoul Accounts for 87% of Nationwide Total
19 Selected from 40 Applicants, Including 11 in Gangnam... Evaluated on Emergency Response and Long-Term-Stay Amenities
Multilingual Promotion and Medical-Institution Partnerships to Begin in 2027

The number of foreign patients treated in Seoul has increased 3.7-fold in two years, extending the competition in medical tourism beyond hospitals to accommodation. For the first time, a certification program for accommodations is being introduced to address the specific needs of medical tourists, from spaces to recover after surgery or procedures to stays with accompanying family members and emergency response.

A guest room at the Yeouido Marriott Executive Apartments, one of the first “medical-friendly accommodations” selected by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Organization to support foreign patients during their stays before and after treatment. The city selected 19 accommodations after assessing access to medical institutions, amenities for long-term stays, and emergency response systems. Yeouido Marriott Executive Apartments

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Foundation announced on November 2 that they had selected 19 “Seoul medical-friendly accommodations” for foreign patients and accompanying family members for the first time.

According to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, approximately 1.76 million foreign patients received treatment at medical institutions in Seoul last year, a 3.7-fold increase from approximately 470,000 in 2023. Of the approximately 2.01 million foreign patients nationwide, 87.2% were concentrated in Seoul.

Medical tourists have different accommodation needs from ordinary travelers. They may need to stay for an extended period depending on their treatment schedule or travel with a caregiver, and may have difficulty getting around or managing daily activities immediately after surgery or a procedure. This is why a hotel’s location, everyday amenities and ability to respond to emergencies are also important factors in choosing where to stay.

In 2026, the Seoul Metropolitan Government held its first open call for applications and selected 19 of the 40 facilities that applied. Through document reviews, on-site inspections and expert evaluations, it assessed factors including access to medical institutions, the availability of long-term stays, cooking and laundry services, and 24-hour emergency response systems.

The selected facilities include Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, Andaz Seoul Gangnam, Park Hyatt Seoul, Hotel Naru Seoul - MGallery and Yeouido Marriott Executive Apartments. The selection spans a range of price points, from five-star hotels to mid-range and budget accommodations, giving users more options.

Notably, 11 of the selected facilities are in Gangnam-gu, accounting for more than half of the total. The rest are located in Gwangjin-gu, Guro-gu, Mapo-gu, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Jongno-gu and Jung-gu.

The selected facilities were recognized for offering amenities and services tailored to patients and caregivers, such as floors and lounges dedicated to medical tourists, laundry services for long-term guests, mobility assistance and emergency guidance in multiple languages.

The 19 facilities will receive certificates valid for 2027. The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to provide multilingual information on each facility’s location and services through the official Seoul Medical Tourism website and other channels, and to connect medical institutions and agencies that attract foreign patients with accommodation providers. It will also support training for staff on assisting foreign patients and responding to emergencies.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to expand the medical-friendly accommodation program in stages, starting with this pilot project.

“The competitiveness of medical tourism depends not only on excellent medical services but also on how comfortably and safely foreign patients and their families can stay before and after treatment,” said Jo Seongho, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Tourism and Sports Bureau. “We will strengthen connections with medical institutions and build an environment for medical tourism in Seoul where people can feel confident from treatment through recovery.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.