According to a report released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 248,000 patients from abroad visited South Korea for medical treatment last year, up 70 percent from 146,000 in 2021.

In 2019, just a year before the pandemic, 497,000 foreign patients entered Korea.

Recently, the ministry has released a set of strategies for attracting up to 700,000 foreign patients a year to Korea by 2027.

In order to meet its goal by 2027, the government will implement four different strategies: improving immigration procedures, reducing the regional concentration of medical facilities and services, strengthening the competitiveness of related industries and raising awareness about Korea’s medical services globally.

(lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com)