Gynecologic Surgery in Korea for Patients from the US and Canada

Time zones: talking to us from the US and Canada

Seoul is on Korea Standard Time, 9 hours ahead of UTC, and Korea does not use daylight saving time. That makes Seoul 13 to 14 hours ahead of New York and Toronto, 14 to 15 hours ahead of Chicago, and 16 to 17 hours ahead of Los Angeles and Vancouver, depending on the time of year. You can reach us in English on WhatsApp during clinic hours.

Clinic hours in Seoul fall in the evening and night in North America, so send your questions at the end of your day and expect a reply when you wake up. The US and Canada change their clocks in March and November while Korea does not, so check the gap for your travel dates.

Flights from the US and Canada

Incheon International Airport has non-stop flights from several North American cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Toronto and Vancouver. Flight time is roughly 11 to 15 hours. Arrive at least a day before your first appointment so that you can rest and adjust. We explain getting here from Incheon and Gimpo airports separately, with train, bus and taxi options.

Book flights after you have your written plan and any entry paperwork settled, and keep your return flight changeable. Plan for 5 to 10 days in Seoul after incontinence or prolapse surgery. A final check is done 5 to 10 days after surgery, before you fly home. For other procedures, the written plan gives the number of days to allow.

Paying from the US or Canada

Payment can be made by international credit card. Payment by international bank transfer is also accepted. Prices follow the clinic's published fee schedule, and a written estimate in English confirms the items for your case.

Charges in Korea are set in Korean won, so your card issuer converts the amount into US or Canadian dollars at its own rate and may add a foreign transaction fee. Ask your bank about that fee and about your daily card limit, and tell it you are traveling, because a large card payment from abroad can be blocked. If you prefer a bank transfer, ask your bank what an international transfer costs and how long it takes.

Surgery in Korea from the US: insurance documents

Ask your plan which insurance claim documents it needs. We prepare the documents international insurers typically require: an itemized English receipt, a medical certificate, procedure codes and a completed claim form. Whether a procedure is reimbursed depends on your policy; we provide documentation, not coverage decisions.

Medicare usually does not cover health care outside the United States. Private plans differ, so call the number on your insurance card and ask whether the plan covers treatment abroad, whether pre-authorization is required and whether a Korean clinic counts as out of network. Many insurers treat labiaplasty as cosmetic and do not reimburse it.

An HSA or a health FSA can be used tax-free only for qualified medical expenses, which IRS Publication 969 defines by reference to the medical care rules in the tax code. Publication 502 generally excludes cosmetic surgery unless it corrects a deformity from a congenital abnormality, an accident or trauma, or a disfiguring disease. Whether an expense qualifies is a question for your plan administrator or tax adviser, not for the clinic. Keep the itemized English receipt.

Surgery in Korea for Canadians: provincial plans

Provincial and territorial health plans are built around care in Canada. The Government of Canada says your plan may cover none, or only a small part, of the cost of medical care abroad. Ontario's out-of-country prior approval program shows how narrow the exceptions are: it requires written approval before you receive the services, and it considers payment only for services that are not available in Ontario or where a delay would cause death or medically significant irreversible tissue damage. An elective operation that is available at home would not meet those criteria.

Other provinces and territories set their own rules, so ask your plan directly. If you have private extended health coverage through an employer, read the out-of-country clause in your benefits booklet before you rely on reimbursement. We provide the documentation your plan asks for; we do not make coverage decisions.

Records in English for your doctor at home

Medical records and receipts are issued in English on request. That lets your doctor at home read them. The CDC advises anyone having care abroad to make sure they can get any needed follow-up care in the United States and to get copies of all medical records from the facility before returning home.

After you fly home

Patients have a 24-hour nurse contact line after surgery. A video follow-up is scheduled after you return home. If you need to be seen locally, give the operative summary to the doctor you choose.

Follow-up care is provided for ten years after surgery under the clinic's aftercare policy: a repeat of the same procedure is free of charge; sedation anesthesia fees and any additional procedures performed at the same time are charged.

Korean-American patients

Consultations are available in English and in Korean. If you are visiting family in Korea, tell us your travel dates at pre-consultation so the plan fits the visit.

Sources

1. K-ETA notice: Extension of K-ETA Temporary Exemption (Ministry of Justice, December 23, 2025)
2. Government of Canada travel advice: South Korea
3. Government of Canada: Travel insurance
4. Ontario Ministry of Health: OHIP coverage while outside Canada
5. Medicare.gov: Travel outside the U.S.
6. IRS Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses (Cosmetic Surgery section)
7. IRS Publication 969, Health Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans
8. CDC Travelers' Health: Medical Tourism