Healthcare in Seoul: how Americans see a doctor, find English care and handle an emergency

Healthcare in Seoul is fast, high-tech and cheap by US standards. The trick is knowing which door to walk through first, and which hospitals have staff who'll handle your visit in English.

The short version

• Most foreign residents must join National Health Insurance (NHI) once they've been in Korea for six months; if you work for a Korean employer, you're usually enrolled through your job [1].
• For everyday problems, go to a neighborhood clinic (uiwon). The big university hospitals expect a referral, and walking in without one can cost you more [1].
• Several major Seoul hospitals run international clinics with English-speaking staff, including Severance, Seoul National University Hospital and Samsung Medical Center [2][3][4].
• Pharmacies fill prescriptions next door to the clinic. Most close on Sundays and public holidays, so find the on-duty one in advance [1].
• Call 119 for an ambulance or fire and 112 for police. Both offer interpretation [5].

National Health Insurance in a nutshell

Back home, coverage depends on your employer, your state's marketplace or Medicare. In Korea there's one public insurer, the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), and most foreign residents are required to be in it.

The basics, from KOTRA's guide to Korea's medical system [1]:

• Employees with recognized residence status are enrolled through their employer, much like payroll deductions for health coverage in the States.
• Everyone else who has stayed more than six months is enrolled automatically as a "regional" (self-employed) member. This has been the rule since July 16, 2019. NHIS mails your card and monthly bill to your registered address.
• Dependents generally need six months of residence before you can add them, but a spouse and children under 10 can be added right away.

NHI covers a big share of the bill, and you pay the rest at the counter. Premiums, co-payments and what happens if you fall behind are in our guide to National Health Insurance in Korea.

One thing doesn't change: Medicare generally doesn't pay for care outside the US, so NHI (and maybe a private plan for gaps or evacuation) is your real coverage while you're here.

Clinics vs hospitals: start small

Korea has a three-level system, and it pays to respect it.

Here's the catch for new arrivals: you're supposed to bring a referral from a clinic or general hospital to see a doctor at a tertiary hospital. Skip it and you may pay much higher initial costs [1]. Emergencies and childbirth are exceptions, as are visits to dentists, rehabilitation medicine and family medicine [1].

Clinics don't work like a US primary care practice. You don't register with one doctor. You walk in, wait (often not long), see a specialist and walk out with a prescription. Many clinics in Gangnam, Itaewon and around Sinchon and Hongdae have English-speaking doctors, since a lot of Korean physicians trained in the US. Read reviews on Naver Map or ask other expats which ones are easy to deal with.

International clinics at major hospitals

If you want an English-speaking coordinator who handles booking, paperwork and billing, Seoul's big hospitals have international centers. These are the ones we verified:

A few practical notes:

• Bring your ARC and NHI card. International centers see both insured residents and visitors. SNUH's phone line for its international center is aimed at foreign patients without Korean NHI [3], so if you're insured, ask whether to book through the regular appointment system instead.
• Expect international-clinic fees to differ. Coordination services can cost more than a regular visit. Ask before you book.
• Big hospitals bill international insurers. SNUH says it can coordinate with international insurance companies and offers cashless billing [3]. If you have a US or global plan, ask the center whether it bills your insurer directly.

Pharmacies and medications

Korea separates prescribing from dispensing. The clinic writes the prescription, and you fill it at a pharmacy (yakguk), usually on the ground floor of the same building. Your pills often come in a strip of small paper packets, one per dose, which is a bit of a surprise if you're used to a bottle from CVS.

What to know:

• Over-the-counter basics like painkillers, cold medicine and antacids are at any pharmacy. Convenience stores sell a short list of simple medicines too.
• Sundays and holidays are tricky, because most pharmacies close [1]. KOTRA points to the pharmacy finder site pharm114.or.kr (in Korean) for those that are open [1], and Naver Map lists hours.
• Your US prescription won't be filled here. See a Korean doctor for a new prescription. Bring a supply from home plus a copy of your prescription and a doctor's letter in English for anything you take long term, and check Korea's import rules before you ship medication, since some drugs that are routine in the States are tightly controlled here.

Emergencies and helplines

Public 119 ambulances take you to the nearest suitable emergency room. Big hospital ERs get very busy, so if your situation isn't life-threatening, a smaller hospital ER or a clinic the next morning may be faster.

In an emergency, follow these steps:

1. Call 119 and say "English, please." Give your address in Korean if you can; save it in your phone ahead of time.
2. Bring your ARC, NHI card and any medications.
3. At the ER, expect to pay a deposit or the bill before you leave.
4. Keep every receipt. If you have private or US insurance, you'll need itemized bills to claim.

For a US citizen in serious trouble, the US Embassy in Seoul's American Citizen Services unit can help contact family. Enrolling in STEP before you move means the embassy can reach you too.

Settling in: a first-month health checklist

1. Check whether your employer has enrolled you in NHI, or note your six-month date if you're self-employed or a student.
2. Pick a nearby clinic for each family member's likely needs (pediatrics, ENT, internal medicine).
3. Save the address and phone of an international center from the table above.
4. Find your nearest pharmacy and the closest one open on Sundays.
5. Get prescriptions for long-term medications from a Korean doctor before your US supply runs out.

Looking for a pediatrician or dentist other Americans like? Ask in our community group for Americans in South Korea.

Sources

1. KOTRA Invest Korea Ombudsman: Medical care system in Korea (PDF, data as of December 2023)
2. Severance Hospital: International Health Care Center overview
3. Seoul National University Hospital: International Healthcare Center
4. Samsung Medical Center: English site
5. New Zealand Embassy in Seoul: Emergency numbers in Korea
6. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency: English site

Keep reading

• National Health Insurance in Korea
• Alien registration card in Korea
• Medicare when you live abroad
• STEP and help from US embassies