Even within Korean medical tourism, what patients choose differs by country. Chinese patients book premium lifting like Ulthera all at once, Japanese patients focus on value-for-money treatments led by Rejuran, and American patients mostly seek simple skin treatments and dental care. Using data from roughly 2.01 million international patients in 2025, here's the country-by-country guide.
📊 Patients by Country at a Glance (2025)
- 🇨🇳 China: ~619,000 (#1, ~30.8%)
- 🇯🇵 Japan: ~600,000 (#2, ~29.8%)
- 🇹🇼 Taiwan: ~186,000 (#3)
- 🇺🇸 United States: ~173,000 (#4)
- 🇹🇭 Thailand: ~58,000 (#5)
By department, dermatology dominates at ~62.9% (~1.31 million), followed by plastic surgery at ~11.2% (~233,000). "Skin treatments" lead overwhelmingly.
🇨🇳 China — "Premium treatments, all in one visit"
Chinese patients have the highest average spend (about KRW 9.37 million / ~$6,800 per person) and tend to bundle premium procedures in a single trip.
- High-intensity lifting like Ulthera and Thermage
- Rejuran — hard to get in China, added on in Korea
- Botox and fillers — cheaper than at home, done together
Bottom line: high-impact anti-aging, all at once.
🇯🇵 Japan — "Value-driven, Rejuran is a must"
Japanese patients spend about KRW 3.21 million (~$2,300) on average and favor treatments with strong price advantages. Demand among younger Japanese women more than doubled in a year.
- Rejuran — about one-third of the Japanese price; a must-do for Japanese visitors
- Skin Botox and fillers — cheaper than in Japan
- Pore treatments and Aqua Peeling for skin texture
Bottom line: proven treatments, smartly cheaper than at home.
🇺🇸 United States — "Simple skin treatments + dental"
American patients (especially Korean expats) use vacation periods to get postponed treatments done in Korea, where dental and procedure costs are far lower.
- Easy skin treatments: Botox, fillers, Rejuran, lasers
- Dental: scaling, implants, orthodontics (big savings vs. the U.S.)
- LASIK / LASEK vision correction
Bottom line: get U.S.-expensive procedures done on vacation in Korea.
🇹🇼 Taiwan — "Skin & beauty-focused, K-beauty next door"
Geographically close and heavily influenced by the Korean wave, Taiwanese patients lean toward dermatology and beauty procedures — often skin care and petite treatments on a short trip.
💡 Why Get It Done in Korea?
- Price: many treatments cost about 50% less than Western clinics.
- Technology: Rejuran, HIFU, pore treatments, Aqua Peeling and more are mainstream.
- Access: multilingual coordinators and fast, same-day procedure culture.
⚠️ Note
These are general patterns based on statistics and industry data; individual choices vary. Always confirm suitability and cost with a specialist. This article is general information, not medical advice.
🔎 Sources
- Ministry of Health and Welfare — International patient statistics (2024 & 2025)
- Korea Tourism Organization, Korea Tourism Data Lab — Medical tourism status
- Compiled from medical tourism industry trend analyses
