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SCIENCE Korea Vies to Become Medical Tourism Hub BY JEONG HYEON-JI STAFF WRITER Many people think vacations are all about relaxation, sightseeing and playing leisure sports. But this idea is quickly changing because of the booming medical tourism industry. During a weeklong holiday, people can now easily fix their bad eyes or sore backs. Korea, equipped with stateof-the-art medical skills, has stepped into the global medical tourism scene by recently launching several medical tour programs. In late July, a group of 29 Americans visited Korea on a two-week medical tour program, organized by the Korea Tourism Organization and the nation’s major medical organizations. The program featured a full medical check-up and sightseeing around An American patient receives a full check-up at the Inha University Medical Center in Incheon Korea’s major tourist attractions. The medical service, which included both physical examinations and cosmetic treatments, received a very positive response from the participants. According to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHI- DI) data, the global medical tourism market is estimated to be $60 billion a year — and it is expected to reach $100 billion by 2012. In line with the growth of the global market, Korea’s medical tourism sector is aiming to attract 100,000 tourists by 2012, topping $37 billion. The number of patients visiting Korea’s major hospitals jumped to 16,000 in 2007, up from 760 in 2005, according to the Welfare Ministry. The growth of medical tourism in Korea has been spurred by top-notch local doctors and, recently, by the Korean Wave. The nation’s oriental medical clinics and acupuncturists, in particular, have constantly been receiving foreign patients, who are keen to keep fit by using natural means. By the turn of the millennium, Korea saw an increasing number of Asian tourists visiting the nation, mainly for cosmetic surgery. This was bolstered by the positive image of Korea’s pop culture. The nation’s top-notch hospitals have helped fuel the growth. Wooridul Spine Hospital, which runs five hospital chains across the country, has operated an international patients’ center since 2005. The hospital, which purely focuses on spinal treatment, has seen over 2,500 patients from 47 countries. The number is increasing by 30 percent every year. The hospital not only provides medical procedures and tours but also helps the patients get visas, insurance and other matters related to treatment. The hospital already is internationally well known for its expertise. Yonhap Jaseng Hospital of Oriental Medicine in Seoul, which also specializes in spinal treatment, has operated an international clinic since 2006. The number of overseas patients jumped to 390 in 2007 from 185 of 2006. About 60 percent of the patients are Japanese, according to the hospital. “Most of the foreign patients visiting our hospital are amazed that their problems can get better by non-surgical procedures such as acupuncture and oriental medicine,” said Yoon Jepil, head of the hospital’s international clinic. Both Jaseng and Wooridul have multilingual doctors and medical coordinators who are ready to accommodate foreign patients in their own languages. They are also members of the Council for Korea Medicine Overseas Promotion, an organization that promotes medical tourism to Korea and structures programs for it. Yonhap American Medical Tourists in Korea Give a Thumbs up Currently, there are 33 hospitals enrolled in the council. They hold seminars and promotion campaigns with travel agencies to develop this new industry. The member hospitals have signed contracts with international insurance companies to guarantee the quality of medical services as well. Among them are Seoul’s Severance Hospital and Hanyang University Medical Center, which have been looking into medical tourism for a few years, and are working with travel agencies in the U.S., Japan and China to create diverse tour packages. Jeju-do is also looking to make headway into medical tourism, taking advantage of its beautiful scenery and well-developed infrastructure. Along with specialized treatments, Jeju’s programs also include health options like obesity care. The Ministry of Welfare, Health and Family Affairs, to help foster the Denise Snyder, a yoga instructor from California, and 28 fellow Americans visited Korea on a two-week journey in July. But their trip was not like any other vacation. Upon their arrival, they were taken to Inha University Medical Center in Incheon, a 30-minute bus ride from the airport. They received a full-scale check-up, which includes a blood test, an electrocardiogram, a gastrointestinal endoscopy, an eye exam and a medical consultation. This was all done for $400. “All this would cost 10 times higher in the U.S.,” Snyder said. Kristi Knudsen and her daughter, Natalie, were also among the group of patients. She said she receives annual medical exams but this is the first time she’s getting an endoscopy and an ultrasonography. “There are so many people without a proper insurance scheme in the United States. And getting such a full-scale exam nation’s medical tourism industry, has been working to fix administrative flaws and revise legal procedures. As a result, the revised law now allows families or guardians of patients to be given long-term visas. And the process has become much simpler. The Government is also looking to improve medical laws to enable active overseas promotion and mediation. The Welfare Ministry is also expanding its education programs to increase human resource development. The Ministry is planning to open the International Medical Service Academy in a bid to provide education on world-class medical services. Foreign-language education will also be expanded, as language skills are heavily weighed when hiring new staff. More information on Korea’s medical tourism can be found at www.koreahealthtour.co.kr and www.visitkorea.or.kr. ■ would cost thousands of dollars,” she said. Knudsen said she would like to take her mother to get her spinal cord checked in Korea next time. The next day, they went to a dermatologist in Seoul to get cosmetic treatments, such as magic lift, botox, oxygen treatment and crystal peeling. “I’ve been to Thailand many times for medical treatments. I’m thinking of coming back to Korea for further treatments in the future,” Snyder said. The group spent the rest of their journey traveling around Korea’s major tourist spots, including the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and Gyeongju. The program was well received by the participants. According to a survey conducted at the end of their itinerary, all said that they were highly satisfied with the medical services provided. But communicating with the medical staff in English could use some improvement. ■ 18 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008 SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 19
SCIENCE Global Market Leaders Made in Korea BY HAN ARAN KOREA.NET STAFF WRITER The Korea Herald Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world in 1960, with a gross national income per capita of a mere $79 and a trade deficit of $300 million. But less than fifty years later, global investment bank Goldman Sachs predicted in 2007 that Korea’s percapita gross domestic product will reach $81,000 by 2050. Such an increase would make the nation the world’s second-richest economy after the United States. According to research by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, there are 120 Korean products that have clinched the number one spot in their respective fields as of 2006. And that number is still growing. The list includes not only hi-tech items such as semiconductor products but also small everyday items. Semiconductor products Until as recently as the 1990’s, Samsung was thought to be just a cheap microwave brand, but the brand is now recognized as an upscale, premium name in many product categories including mobile phones and LCD TVs. It all began in 1992 when the company made its name in the international market by becoming the world’s number one producer of D-RAM, or dynamic random access memory, chips, outpacing Japan. This marked the beginning of Samsung’s conquest in the semiconductor market. In 1995, the company clinched the number one spot in the S-RAM, or static random access memory, field. In 2002, Samsung gained the number one spot in terms of the TFT-LCD, or thin-film transistor liquid crystal display, market. When it comes to the non-memory sector, Samsung also stands strong. It is the number one producer of Display Driver IC and System on a Chip, among others. Ships Shipbuilding is one of Korea’s leading heavy industries, and it has greatly contributed to making the country an economic powerhouse. Korea is home to seven of the world’s top 10 shipbuilders, with Hyundai Heavy, Samsung Heavy Industries Co. and Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co., forming the club of the world’s top three shipbuilders. The Korean shipbuilding industry caught the world’s attention yet again last year by attaining a fifth consecutive “triple crown.” They swept the world market in the three main indicators, namely new order volume, construction volume and order backlogs in 2007, setting records for the fifth straight year since 2003. The industry takes up about 40 percent of the global market and one out of every three new vessels in the world last year was made in Korea. Other noteworthy products Did you know that half of the world’s population uses Korean-made nail clippers? Founded in 1975, the Three Seven Corporation of Korea makes about 80 million nail clippers per year and exports them to 92 countries around the world under its in-house 777 brand, which is famous for its sophisticated designs and high quality. The brand name is registered in many countries and is synonymous with nail clipper quality. The world-famous safes known as Eagle Safes are made in Korea as well. Sunil Safe, also known as Sun Safe, exports a variety of safes to 70 countries around the world. The company made the world’s first fire-resilient safes. It also made the world’s first safes with digital locks. Not everyone uses tooth sterilizers, but among those who do, there is a high chance that they use sterilizers made by Esencia. The Korean company takes up more than 40 percent of the world market in the field. Paseco, a heating equipment maker, has maintained the number one spot in terms of kerosene stoves. Its Kerona brand sells in 35 countries including Germany, Iraq and the United States among others. The medium-sized company takes up half of its market. Neopharm is another medium-sized company that is making inroads abroad with its product Atopalm, which is good for healing skin affected by eczema. The product has been granted a patent in China, Japan, the United States and Taiwan as well as Korea. ■ Korea makes internationally premier products such as (from top) heating equipment, fire-resilient safes and topquality nail clippers 20 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008 SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 21
Page 3 and 4: Opening a communicative space betwe
Page 5 and 6: NATIONAL South Korea celebrated the
Page 7 and 8: DIPLOMACY 1 2 3 4 President Lee hel
Page 9: 2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS The Korea Her
Page 13 and 14: GLOBAL KOREA Quiz Show Brings Vietn
Page 15 and 16: CHUSEOK Time for Celebration and Sh
Page 17 and 18: CHUSEOK The Korea Herald Children o
Page 19 and 20: tertainment industries in both coun
Page 21 and 22: CULTURE Toyota Motor Korea GM Daewo
Page 23 and 24: CULTURE Wonju Hanji Festival Hanji,
Page 25 and 26: TRAVEL Korean Air Enjoy Korean Cuis
Page 27 and 28: FOOD Ceramic Pots — Natural Prese
Page 29 and 30: PEOPLE Yonhap A Veteran Artist’s
Page 31 and 32: EVENTS National Palace Museum of Ko
Page 33 and 34: BOOKS Political Change in Korea Edi

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