Seoul’s southern district of Gangnam will hold a series of medical tourism events in China this week to promote its clinics to Chinese customers.

The Gangnam medical tourism convention will take place in Shanghai from Dec. 20-22 and in Hangzhou from Dec. 22-24, the district office said Monday.

“Chinese visitors are the biggest customers for medical tourism. We hope the medical convention will invite more Chinese people to Gangnam for medical services,” said Gangnam Mayor Shin Yeong-hee.

More than a dozen clinics specializing in plastic surgery, dermatology, oriental medicine and ophthalmology will participate in the events, including dermatological clinic Areumdaun Nara and check-up center Vievis Namuh Hospital.

Gangnam, one of Seoul’s most up-market districts, is renowned for its “Beauty Belt,” an area where the country’s most renowned beauty clinics are gathered.

At the medical conventions, Gangnam officials plan to introduce high-quality medical services offered by Seoul clinics and provide one-on-one consulting services to those interested.

It will also sign a memorandum of understanding with the domestic credit card issuer Union Pay to facilitate medical tourism, they added.

Gangnam has held a several medical conventions in major Chinese cities before.

A total of 4,015 Chinese visited Gangnam clinics last year, according to government data. The data showed that most of them were interested in dermatology and plastic  surgery. 

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)