South Korea sees surge in foreign patients for beauty care, plastic surgery


The percentage of foreign patients who underwent plastic surgery rose by 26 per cent, from 90,494 in 2019 to 114,074 in 2023. - AFP

SEOUL: South Korean hospitals and clinics have seen a surge in patients from overseas since the Covid-19 pandemic, mainly for plastic surgery and skincare, according to government data on Oct 8.

A total of 239,060 and 114,074 international patients received dermatological treatments and plastic surgery respectively. They accounted for nearly 52 per cent of the 678,799 foreign nationals in South Korea who received medical services at hospitals and clinics in 2023.

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