Eye Surgery & Vision Correction

In brief

In 2025, ophthalmology accounted for 1.1% of speciality visits by international patients.

22,378 international patients in 2025. Source: Korea Health Industry Development Institute.

Vision correction is a common reason for visiting Korean eye clinics. Whether you are suitable depends on detailed measurements of the eye, so the examination before surgery matters quite as much as the surgery itself.

What is offered

• LASIK and LASEK
• SMILE
• Implantable contact lenses
• Cataract surgery
• Dry eye treatment

How matters are arranged in Korea

• Vision correction falls outside Korean national health insurance, and each clinic sets its own prices.
• Stop wearing contact lenses for the period the clinic specifies before your examination, as wearing them affects the measurements.

Planning your stay

• Allow time for the examination, the surgery and at least one check after the operation before you fly.
• Ask the clinic for its advice on flying and on screen time in the first days after surgery.

The risks, plainly stated

Questions to put to the clinic

For a few words of Korean at the reception desk, Day1Korean has short conversations to listen to and repeat.

Who ought to treat you

A board-certified ophthalmologist (안과 전문의).

Before you book, use our safety checklist to confirm the clinic’s government registration and the doctor’s licence.