{
  "id": 17762008,
  "title": "Seoul names 19 'medical-friendly' hotels for foreign patients",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/seoul-names-19-medical-friendly-hotels-for-foreign-patients",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-11-02T07:27:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/health/20261102/seoul-names-19-medical-friendly-hotels-for-foreign-patients"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Seoul has identified 19 hotels and accommodations as \"medical-friendly\" lodgings specifically designed for international patients and their families, according to the city government. This initiative aims to tap into the expanding global market of individuals traveling to Korea for healthcare, with the city government announcing the selection on Monday. In 2025, Seoul treated a record high of 1.76 million foreign patients, a three-and-a-half times increase from the 470,000 treated in 2023. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Organization chose the 19 facilities from among 40 applicants in the program's inaugural year. The selection process involved document reviews, on-site inspections, and expert evaluations. Unlike typical tourists, foreign patients frequently require extended stays that align with their treatment schedules, rooms for family members or caregivers, and spaces for recovery post-surgery or other procedures. Some patients may also struggle with mobility following their treatment. The facilities were assessed based on their accessibility and willingness to accommodate these specific needs.",
  "summary": "Seoul has designated 19 hotels and accommodations as “medical-friendly” lodgings tailored for international patients and their families, part of an effort to capture a growing global market traveling to Korea for health care, the city government said Monday. According to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, about 1.76 million foreign patients were treated at medical institutions in…",
  "key_points": [
    "Seoul identifies 19 medical-friendly hotels for foreign patients.",
    "Initiative aims to attract global healthcare tourists.",
    "Facilities selected based on accessibility and accommodation needs."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Designating specialized accommodations signals Seoul's strategy to capture the surging global medical tourism market by addressing the unique recovery and mobility requirements of international patients and their families.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}