Seoul medical tourism policy forum set for Thursday

A public-private-academic policy forum aimed at strengthening South Korea's global competitiveness in medical tourism and building a sustainable industry ecosystem is set to take place this week.

Co-hosted by the Korea Medical Tourism Promotion Association (KMTPA) and the Korea Tourism Research Association, and organized and sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the forum will be held Thursday at 1 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom on the lower lobby level of the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul.

The Seoul Medical Tourism Policy Forum — officially titled K-Medical Tourism Roundtable 2026 — will run as a special session of the 100th Korea Tourism Research Association Seoul International Academic Conference and the 2026 Seoul International Tourism Forum. Centered on enhancing South Korea's global competitiveness in medical tourism, the forum will examine market shifts and structural challenges facing the industry, and discuss a sustainable path forward for Seoul's medical tourism sector.

Global medical tourists are increasingly looking beyond treatment itself, placing greater value on a seamless end-to-end experience that encompasses visa issuance, medical advertising, payment convenience, follow-up care and VAT refunds.

Seoul has established itself as the country's hub for medical tourism, backed by advanced medical technology and strong tourism infrastructure. Yet observers note that regulatory reforms have not kept pace with the rapidly changing market.

The forum will focus on structural bottlenecks raised by industry practitioners, including the need to reinstate a VAT refund system for foreign patients, medical tourism visa policies, regulations on medical advertising targeting foreigners, and frameworks for payment and post-treatment care.

Discussions will also cover local government support measures linking Seoul's "3377 Tourism Vision" and its proposed Han River Medical Tourism Belt. Organizers plan to use feedback gathered at the event to develop actionable policy recommendations and explore the need for a standing public-private-academic cooperation framework in the medical tourism sector.

The forum will open with welcome and congratulatory remarks, followed by a keynote address on enhancing the global competitiveness and ecosystem sustainability of Seoul's medical tourism industry. Sessions will then cover global market trends and Seoul's medical tourism brand strength, institutional proposals for elevating Seoul's medical tourism brand on the world stage, and case presentations, culminating in a policy roundtable.

Kim Jin-guk, chairman of KMTPA, will chair the policy roundtable. Panelists include Hong Seung-wook, head of the foreign patient attraction division at the Korea Health Industry Development Institute; Ban Jun-seop, chairman of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons; Yang Seung-cheol, chief executive of The ESC; Shin Young-jong, chief executive of Mediround; Park Ki-beom, co-chief executive of Healing Paper; Ju Cheol, director of the health industry overseas expansion division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare; and Hyeon Yun-seong, an official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government's tourism industry support team.