What Korean law requires of a clinic that treats foreign patients
A medical institution in Korea that wants to recruit or receive patients from abroad must register with its city or provincial government under rules set by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The registration system is run by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) under the Medical Korea name. A clinic that is not registered may still treat a foreign resident who walks in, but it may not market to or arrange care for patients overseas.
To register, a clinic must show that it has at least one board-certified specialist for each department it offers to foreign patients, and that it carries medical liability insurance or an equivalent mutual-aid policy. For clinics and small hospitals the minimum coverage is 100 million won. That figure is the floor for registration. It says nothing about what a patient would actually receive in a given dispute, which depends on the case. The registration is valid for three years and must be renewed. It can be revoked, for example if the clinic accepts foreign patients referred by an unregistered agency.
Registration is a legal minimum. It tells you that the clinic has a specialist in the department, carries insurance for foreign patients and has agreed to the reporting duties that come with the system. It does not evaluate surgical results, and it is not a quality rating.
How to look up a registration number
Each registered institution receives a registration number, for example one beginning with M-. A clinic that is registered can tell you its number on request, and many print it on their website.
To check it, open the registered-institution directory on the Medical Korea site run by KHIDI. The directory is in Korean. You can filter by institution name, by region at the province or city level (for example Seoul), by target country, by registration status, and by the last four digits of the registration number. There is no filter for a district or a department. Because clinic names are often translated loosely into English, the easiest search is by the last four digits of the number the clinic gave you. Then compare the institution name and the address on the registry with what the clinic told you. If you need the Korean name, ask the clinic for the name on its registration certificate.
If you cannot find a clinic in the directory, ask the clinic to send you a copy of its registration certificate. If it has none, it is not registered to receive patients from abroad. You can also contact the local government desk listed on the KHIDI registration page and ask them to confirm.
How specialist certification works in Korea
In Korea, a physician holds a general medical license issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. A specialist qualification is separate. It is granted by the Ministry after a residency in that field and a national specialist examination, and the specialty is named on the certificate, for example obstetrics and gynecology.
The license and the specialist qualification are two different credentials, and a clinic's website may show one without the other. That is one reason the registration rule above asks for a specialist in each department offered to foreign patients. For a gynecologic operation, ask which specialty each doctor holds and which doctor will perform your surgery. A clinic can show you the specialist certificate or state the specialty on its doctor profile pages.
Membership in academic societies, fellowships and published books are different from the specialist qualification. They tell you about a doctor's interests and experience. The specialist certificate tells you about formal training.
Where the surgery is performed
Ask whether the operation takes place in the clinic's own operating room or at another facility, who administers the anesthesia, and how the clinic handles an emergency that needs a hospital. Korean clinics differ in all three, and the answer belongs in your written plan. Our own process for anesthesia, monitoring and recovery is described on the safety page, so it is not repeated here.
What you should have in writing before you pay
Before you make any payment, ask for a written treatment plan and an itemized estimate in English. The plan should name the procedure, the doctor who will perform it, the type of anesthesia, the expected number of days in Seoul and the follow-up schedule. The estimate should state what the price includes and what it does not. Ask how a deposit is refunded if you cancel or if the doctor decides at consultation that the procedure is not suitable for you.
Ask whether you will receive an itemized receipt and a medical certificate in English after surgery. You will need both for an insurance claim at home and for any doctor who treats you later. If a clinic cannot put the plan and estimate in writing, you have your answer. The steps we follow for a plan and quote are described on the how-to-book and pricing pages.
Agencies and facilitators
Many foreign patients first meet a Korean clinic through a medical tourism agency, a translator, or a hotel concierge. In Korea, agencies that arrange care for foreign patients must also register with the Ministry of Health and Welfare. To do so they must hold a surety bond and capital of at least 100 million won each and keep an office in Korea. A registered clinic is not allowed to accept patients referred by an unregistered agency.
If you use an agency, ask for its registration number and check it in the same directory. Ask how the agency is paid, because a commission paid by the clinic can be built into your price. You are free to contact any clinic directly, and you can ask the clinic whether the price quoted through an agency is the same as the price it quotes to patients who book themselves.
If there is a dispute
Korea has a public body for medical disputes, the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency. It handles mediation and arbitration between patients and medical institutions, and its procedure is open to foreign patients. Its English website explains how to file. Mediation is a formal process and takes time, so most patients contact the clinic first and turn to the agency only if that fails.
The practical protection is your paperwork. Keep the written plan, the estimate, the receipt, the operative summary and the discharge instructions. Ask for copies of your records in English before you leave Korea. A clinic that is registered for foreign patients should be able to issue these documents.
Reading forum posts about clinics in Korea
Reddit and expat forums are where many people research clinics in Korea. They are useful for learning what questions other patients wished they had asked. They are a weak basis for judging a specific clinic, because posts are anonymous, cannot be verified, and may be written by the clinic, an agency or a competitor.
Use a forum thread to build your list of questions, then put each question to the clinic and ask for the answer in writing. Compare what you are told with the registry and the specialist certificates described above. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes a general checklist for anyone considering medical care abroad, which covers the same ground from a travel health perspective.
Where to check Podo's information
Our registration details are on the medical tourism page, and you can check them in the Medical Korea directory using the steps above. All three doctors are board-certified specialists in obstetrics and gynecology; their profiles are on the doctors page. Surgery is performed in the clinic's own operating room. Consultations are available in English, and medical records and receipts are issued in English on request.
How a plan and quote are issued is described on the pricing and how-to-book pages. We prepare the documents international insurers typically require: an itemized English receipt, a medical certificate, procedure codes and a completed claim form. This page is general information and is not a diagnosis; a consultation is needed to decide whether a procedure suits you.
Questions
Is medical tourism in Korea safe?
No country is safe or unsafe as a whole. Korea regulates clinics that treat foreign patients through a registration system, and you can check a specific clinic's registration, its doctors' specialist qualifications and its written plan before you commit. Those checks tell you more than any general statement about a country.
How do I check whether a clinic in Korea is registered for foreign patients?
Ask the clinic for its registration number, then search the Medical Korea registered-institution directory run by KHIDI. The directory is in Korean, so search by the last four digits of the number, then match the institution name and the address. If the clinic is not listed, ask for a copy of its registration certificate.
Does registration mean the government has approved the clinic's results?
No. Registration confirms that the clinic has a specialist in each department it offers to foreign patients, carries liability insurance and meets reporting duties. It does not evaluate surgical outcomes.
How do I know if a Korean doctor is a specialist in gynecology?
Ask which specialty the doctor holds. The specialist qualification is granted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare after residency and a national examination, and the specialty is named on the certificate. A clinic can show you the certificate or state the specialty on its doctor profile.
Should I trust Reddit threads about clinics in Korea?
Use them to collect questions rather than to reach conclusions. Posts are anonymous and cannot be verified. Put the questions to the clinic, ask for written answers and compare them with the registry.
What can I do if something goes wrong after surgery in Korea?
Contact the clinic first and keep every document. If a dispute cannot be resolved, the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency offers mediation and arbitration to foreign patients and explains the procedure on its English website.
Sources
- KHIDI Medical Korea: registration requirements for institutions and agencies that receive foreign patients
- KHIDI Medical Korea: foreign patient registration portal and registered-institution lookup
- Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI)
- Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency (English)
- CDC Travelers' Health: Medical Tourism
About the reviewer
Dr. Mo Hyung-jin, MD, PhD, board-certified OB-GYN specialist, is the medical director of Podo Women's Clinic. He developed the pelvic ligament suspension technique used at the clinic for stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Profile