In brief
In 2025, internal medicine accounted for 9.2% of speciality visits by international patients, the third largest share, and grew by 54.9% on the year before.
192,208 international patients in 2025. Source: Korea Health Industry Development Institute.
In the official statistics, internal medicine brings together eleven departments: family medicine, general internal medicine, gastroenterology, cardiology, endocrinology and metabolism, respiratory medicine, nephrology, rheumatology, haematology-oncology, infectious diseases and allergy. Patients from abroad come for anything from a single consultation to the investigation of a long-standing condition.
It is the speciality most often visited by patients from Kazakhstan, and the second most often by those from Russia. Patients from China, Japan and the United States make up the largest numbers overall.
What is offered
- Family medicine and general internal medicine
- Gastroenterology, including endoscopy
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology and diabetes care
- Respiratory medicine
- Nephrology and rheumatology
- Haematology and oncology
How matters are arranged in Korea
- Patients not covered by Korean national health insurance pay the full cost of their care. Ask for an estimate before any tests begin.
- Many large hospitals run an international healthcare centre (국제진료센터) that arranges appointments, interpreters and payment for patients from abroad.
- Complex conditions are usually investigated in general or tertiary hospitals, where specialist departments and diagnostic equipment sit under one roof; simpler complaints can be seen in a clinic.
Planning your stay
- A consultation with tests may take a day or two; investigating a complex condition can take a week or more, and further tests may follow once the first results are in.
- Bring your medical records, recent test results and a list of the medicines you take, ideally translated into English or Korean.
- If treatment is to continue at home, ask at the outset for a written summary and copies of your results to give to your own doctor.
The risks, plainly stated
- Sedation and endoscopy carry small risks, including reactions and, rarely, perforation.
- Interactions between new prescriptions and the medicines you already take.
- Gaps in care when treatment begun in Korea must be continued at home.
Every procedure carries risk. Only the treating doctor, having examined you, can say whether a treatment is suitable.
Questions to put to the clinic
To take with you
- Which specialist will see me, and in which department?
- Which tests do you propose, what will they cost, and when shall I have the results?
- Will I receive a written summary and copies of my results in English?
- How should my treatment be continued once I am home?
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 specialist in internal medicine (내과 전문의), ideally one who practises in the relevant field, such as gastroenterology or cardiology. Family medicine has its own specialist qualification (가정의학과 전문의).
Before you book, use our safety checklist to confirm the clinic’s government registration and the doctor’s licence.
Sources
- Korea Health Industry Development Institute — 2025 International Patient Statistics Report (외국인환자 유치실적 통계분석 보고서)
- Medical Service Act (Korean Law Information Center)
- Medical Korea (KHIDI) — registered foreign-patient institutions and support
Last reviewed on 25 October 2026. See our editorial policy.