Many Korean hospitals have staff members fluent in English, but some, particularly university hospital-level institutes, have international health care centers that cater specifically to foreign national patients.
These departments cover not only the conventional medical services, but also offer interpretation services along with physicians and staff members dedicated to helping those with international backgrounds.
The International Healthcare Center at Seoul National University Hospital, for example, offers services in English, Chinese, Mongolian, Arabic and Spanish. Billing is coordinated with embassies from other countries and international insurance companies. It also has a patient referral process that can be submitted from abroad.
Asan Medical Center is similarly organized to assist billing services, and interpretation and coordination are available in English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Mongolian, and Vietnamese, with some physicians fluent in English and Japanese. The center also issues English documents necessary for visa-related physical examinations.
Medical services such as vaccinations necessary for long-term stays can be received at such centers, along with medical consultation. International health care centers at university hospitals also issue documents such as diagnosis referrals and vaccination certificates in English.
Some smaller hospitals and clinic-level institutes may also provide interpretation for patients, so call ahead or visit their homepages to see if such service is available.
Type "international health care centers in Korea" or "gukje jinryo" in Korean into Google or Naver to find hospitals that provide such services. Required documents at each center may differ, so refer to their homepages for more information.
