All entries
9 entries · in 3 sections
Hospitals
How medical institutions are tiered3- Clinic, hospital, general hospital, tertiary hospital — what is the difference?What separates a clinic from a hospital is not bed count but whether it mainly sees outpatients or inpatients. Bed thresholds only start at the hospital tier.
- What is a registered foreign patient provider?Treating foreign patients requires registration with a provincial governor, backed by a board-certified specialist per department and malpractice liability insurance. The register is publicly searchable.
- When do you need a referral letter in Korea?The line is not hospital size but whether the institution is a tertiary hospital. Without a referral you are not turned away — you pay the entire bill yourself.
Care & Insurance
Seeing a doctor and what is covered3- Can foreign residents join Korea's national health insurance?Take a job and you are enrolled from your first working day. Otherwise you must have lived in Korea for six months — and that enrollment is automatic, not something you apply for.
- Covered versus non-covered care — what is the difference?Covered care means national health insurance pays part of the cost; non-covered care is paid entirely by the patient. What counts as non-covered is fixed by law as a list.
- What kinds of national health screening exist in Korea?General screening runs every two years, or annually for non-office workers. Cancer screening sets its own age range and interval for each cancer.
Beauty & Procedures
How cosmetic treatments are classified3- Dermatology or plastic surgery — how are they divided?The two specialties differ in scope and invasiveness. And a sign reading "dermatology" does not always mean a board-certified dermatologist — Korean signage rules let you tell the difference.
- What to check before a cosmetic procedure in KoreaSurgery, transfusion and general anesthesia require written consent by law, and five items must be explained to you. Not choosing by testimonials and before-and-after photos matters just as much.
- Why is cosmetic work not covered by health insurance?Schedule 2 of the benefits rule names cosmetic procedures individually as non-covered. A functional operation on the same body part can still be covered — but it is a different procedure with a different name.