Over the past three years, Daejeon Metropolitan City's foreign patients have increased more than 2.5 times, from 2,198 in 2021 to 5,653 in 2023. Although medical tourism was significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the number of foreign patients visiting Daejeon has rapidly recovered as interest in medical tourism increased alongside growing trust in K-quarantine measures.

According to the “2023 Foreign Patient Attraction Performance Statistical Analysis Report” released by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, China (27.2%) and Vietnam (10.9%) account for the majority of foreign patients visiting Daejeon, with a continuous influx of patients from the United States, Mongolia, and Russia, in terms of treatment types, outpatient care accounts for a high proportion at 91.5%. In comparison, inpatient cases increased by 54% from 311 in 2022 to 479 in 2023, indicating a growing demand for complex and specialized treatments.

The main medical departments are integrated internal medicine (29.8%) and health screening centers (21.0%), which shows that foreign patients are highly interested in comprehensive health management and disease prevention.

By age group, those in their 30s account for the highest proportion at 27.4%, followed by those in their 20s and 40s. By gender, females show a slightly higher ratio at 54.5% compared to males (45.5%). This suggests the potential for developing gender-specific medical services targeting young and middle-aged groups.

These achievements result from the combination of Daejeon's systematic medical tourism policies, the internationalization efforts of medical institutions, and excellent medical infrastructure. Daejeon City is expanding various support measures, including the operation of medical tourism programs, to provide foreign patients with healing experiences beyond simple treatment. The city plans to pursue more active promotional marketing and support to enable patients from more countries to experience Daejeon's excellent medical services in the future.