Record medical tourism spotlights Korea's push for sustainability

The K-Medical Tourism Roundtable 2026 convened Thursday, bringing together government officials and industry leaders to discuss shifting Korea's medical tourism strategy toward a more sustainable and competitive ecosystem. Co-hosted by the Korea Medical Tourism Promotion Association (KMTPA) and the Tourism Sciences Society of Korea, the forum topics ranged from Seoul's medical strengths to the structural challenges threatening the industry's long-term growth. “Korea's medical credibility and competitiveness are now recognized worldwide,” Kim Dae-hyun, second vice minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said in his congratulatory remarks, citing a record 2.01 million foreign patient arrivals last year. Kim added that the country's medical tourism industry is growing beyond treatment into a high value-added sector combining beauty, wellness and tourism, giving foreign tourists more diverse reasons to visit. Kim Jin-kuk, president of the KMTPA, said in a keynote speech that Korea's medical tourism sector remains strong but has yet to reach its full potential. “The tour