After the K-beauty, K-content and K-food, it’s now the turn of dental clinics to ride the next Korean Wave.
Amid the global enthusiasm for K-pop and Korean culture, the appetite for immersive experiences in Korea is expanding into Korea’s booming beauty and medical service industries.
It’s no longer just about skincare and plastic surgery.
According to data from Creatrip, an inbound travel information provider, foreign spending in the dental category in South Korea soared 588% in the third quarter from a year earlier, as more foreigners travel to Korea for advanced dental care.
Affordable yet high-quality medical services are driving the growth of medical tourism in South Korea, especially compared to the higher costs in North America.
DIVERSIFYING CUSTOMER BASE
While visitors from Asia and the US remain key markets, the customer base is also diversifying Turkiye, Australia and across Europe.
“Even after factoring in travel expenses, getting treated in South Korea costs less than a hospital visit in the US,” said one patient.
In 2024, the number of dental clinics serving foreign patients grew 26% year-over-year, while total foreign dental visits rose 16%, according to data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.
European spending grew 565%, while North American spending skyrocketed 3,478%, marking the steepest increase among all regions.
WAVE OF CULTURAL CURIOSITY
Unlike short-term vacations, these visits often involve longer stays and greater spending, making the sector a promising new driver of growth.
According to industry data released on Oct. 25, about 12.38 million foreign visitors entered South Korea between January and August this year. It marked a 16% increase from the same period last year, surpassing pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
The surge has been propelled in part by the global appeal of Korean entertainment.
The worldwide success of the Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters, released in June, has spurred fans eager to experience Korean culture firsthand, including traditional Korean body scrubbing.
The wave of cultural curiosity has evolved beyond the usual try-ons of traditional Korean dress hanbok and palace tours.
Visitors are increasingly sampling street foods like gimbap and instant noodles, shopping at Olive Young, the largest beauty retail chain in South Korea and Daiso, a popular dollar store, while mimicking the daily routines of locals.
Celebrity endorsements have helped too. Kim Kardashian, one of the world’s most influential celebrities with 350 million Instagram followers, was in August spotted visiting a Seoul dermatology clinic.
Government data underscores the trend.
In 2024, the number of foreign patients treated at medical clinics in South Korea jumped nearly tenfold in five years — from 117,069 in 2020 to 1.17 million — according to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.
During the first half of this year, value-added tax refunds for cosmetic and aesthetic treatments reached 82.6 billion won ($60 million), nearly matching the record 99.5 billion won for all of last year.
Dermatology and plastic surgery still dominate, accounting for 55.8% and 24.4% of foreign medical visits, respectively, in terms of the value of tax refunds. Dentistry made up 3.9%.
VISA WAIVER FOR CHINESE VISITORS
The recent visa waiver for Chinese group tourists is expected to further accelerate the momentum.
South Korea has allowed visa-free entry for tour groups from China from Sept. 29 through June 2026.
“We’re seeing a sharp rise in travelers who come specifically to experience Korea’s aesthetic and medical services,” said an industry official. “Because medical tourists tend to stay longer and spend more than ordinary travelers, their impact on the broader tourism economy is only going to grow.”
By Yong-Hyun Shin
yonghyun@hankyung.com
Yeonhee Kim edited this article.
