Busan’s medical tourism industry, which had experienced a downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is now making a strong recovery, especially in the fields of dermatology and plastic surgery.

Seomyeon has become a popular destination for skin care and cosmetic procedures, attracting the highest number of foreign patients in the district’s history last year. Visitors are not just coming from nearby Japan and China, but also from countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia, the United States, and Australia.

According to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute’s “2023 Foreign Patient Attraction Performance Statistics Report,” 12,912 foreign patients visited Busan in 2023.

This marks a significant increase from 5,030 in 2020, 8,193 in 2021, and 11,566 in 2022, showing a recovery to 65.4% of the pre-pandemic peak in 2019, when the city welcomed 19,748 foreign patients. The survey covered 254 medical institutions in Busan that are registered to attract foreign patients.

Among Busan’s districts, Busanjin-gu led the way with 4,236 foreign patients in 2023, followed by Seo-gu with 2,229, Haeundae-gu with 2,147, Dong-gu with 1,003, and Jung-gu with 997.

The majority of patients came from Japan (2,368), Russia (2,250), China (1,645), the United States (1,603), and Vietnam (705).

Busanjin-gu saw a particularly dramatic increase in Japanese patients, rising by 696% from 155 in 2022 to 1,234 in 2023, driven by the popularity of its dermatology and plastic surgery clinics concentrated in Seomyeon.

Last year, Busanjin-gu’s most popular medical services among foreign patients were dermatology (1,335 patients), plastic surgery (984), internal medicine (555), ophthalmology (498), and dentistry (420).

The increase in Japanese patients is attributed to the word-of-mouth reputation of Seomyeon’s clinics and the city’s proximity to Japan. An official from the Busanjin-gu Office’s Culture and Tourism Division noted that the rise of “K-beauty” has fueled this trend, alongside successful local promotions in Vietnam and Mongolia.

In contrast, Seo-gu saw the highest number of foreign visits for internal medicine, with 1,168 patients, followed by 292 at health checkup centers, 217 in orthopedics, 182 in dentistry, and 145 in otolaryngology. Russian patients made up the largest group with 751 visitors, followed by the Philippines (233), China (208), the United States, and India.

Haeundae-gu also reported significant numbers, particularly in integrated internal medicine (934 patients), screening centers (373), dermatology (222), ophthalmology (185), and orthopedics (155). The majority of these patients came from Russia (453), the United States (409), and Japan (227).

Busan’s local government is keen to further develop the city’s medical tourism sector. An official from Busanjin-gu’s Culture and Tourism Division emphasized their plans to increase Japanese tourism, especially in dermatology and plastic surgery, through expanded partnerships and promotional efforts in key markets like Vietnam and Mongolia.

Looking ahead, the Busanjin-gu Office is organizing the Seomyeon Medical Street Festival, a dedicated medical tourism event, scheduled for October 25-26, aiming to further boost Busan’s reputation as a leading medical tourism destination.

Fleet Chinhae