The Rise of Korean Oriental Medical Tourism

Hallyu has taken the world by storm! From Asia to Europe and the Americas, the Korean Wave is becoming present not only in music and TV dramas but also medicine.

Hence, many shops appeal directly to Japanese visitors with their signs.

For Japanese tourists, Korean Oriental medical treatments are just as popular as shopping.

[Interview : Mayumi Nakagiri, Medical tourist
Japan] "I came to this clinic after learning about it from a magazine."

Treatment begins after doctors take note of the patients' body constitution and compatible treatment methods. The clinic receives so many Japanese patients that it has its own professional interpreters now.

[Interview : Lee Eun-mi, Oriental medical doctor] "Women with irregular menstruation, infertility or menopause often came to see me.
However, these days my patients request skin care, cosmetic surgery or diet programs that are based on Korean Oriental medicine."

Nowadays, cosmetic surgery based on Korean Oriental medicine is the trend. Today's patient is being wrapped in compresses soaked in herbal ingredients. After some 40 minutes, the patient's body seems to have shrunken considerably. This doesn't mean that she has lost that much of weight, but instead, she has lost toxins and excess of water.

[Interview : Lee Eun-mi, Oriental medical doctor] "I thought it was going to be hot, but it wasn't. I also thought it would smell bad because of the ingredients, but it's smooth and aromatic."

Other popular treatments are acupuncture sessions that help break down fat, as well wine fire treatments that burn off toxins.

[Interview : Emi Hasegawa, Medical tourist
Japan] "My body and mind feel refreshed. I would like to come back in the future to get further treatment."

The increasing number of foreign tourists seeking oriental medical treatment has inspired some clinics to offer programs exclusively geared towards foreigners, starting with information booklets in different languages.

[Interview : Jo Jin-hyeong, Oriental medical doctor] "Japan is more humid than Korea, so there are more cases of allergies, cold related diseases and edemas compared to Korea. I am focusing on treating such conditions and coming up with a suitable treatment program for Japanese patients."

Acupuncture is used for a variety of treatments. In fact, acupuncture can help with anti-aging, wrinkle care and restoring skin tone. The advantage and biggest appeal of acupuncture lies in its simplicity and non-invasive nature. It has become the prime method for taking care of wrinkles.

[Interview : Mieko Murai, Medical tourist
Japan] "Many people I know tell me how I've become prettier than before. I will come back with friends next time."

The increasing rate of satisfaction from these Oriental medical treatments has triggered a steady rise on the medical tourism industry as well.



The first half of 2011 alone has seen a 137% increase compared to last year.


[Interview : 한의사] "Japanese patients make up most of the foreign patients of our hospital. While Japan has basic knowledge of Oriental medicine, there are few places that actually specialize in it. So I think that many Japanese come to Korea because we have more specialized clinics."



However, Japanese medical tourists are not the only ones, for tourists from the U.S. and Europe are also flocking to Korea in search of health and beauty.

Source - arirang.co.kr