More and more health-conscious tourists are visiting Korea as the country is rising as the 'it' destination among international patients.
Last year Korea saw some 50-thousand people visiting from overseas for medical treatment a 32 percent jump from the number of foreign patients the previous year.
In 2009 the medical tourism industry yielded 150 million US dollars in profit and created more than 4-thousand jobs.
And by 2013 the industry is expected open up the labor market for some 16-thousand Koreans.
This is one of the reasons why the government is set on boosting its support for the medical tourism industry.
[Interview : Hong Jae-sun, Senior Director
Seoul Tourism Organization] "The Seoul Tourism Organization, together with the Seoul Metropolitan Government are making the year 2010 the year to give salience to medical tourism. With efforts to improve our medical institutions, accomodations and transportation, we are aiming to make Seoul the center of the medical sector."
Medical institutions in the country are also gearing up to attract more of these patient-slash-tourists.
One hospital in Seoul recently introduced a new type of treatment that fuses music therapy with Korean oriental medicine.
[Reporter : Hwang Sung-hee
ssung86@arirang.co.kr] "The field of oriental medicine developed within Korea will be a unique and attractive experience for international visitors, and since it boasts standardized results and almost no side effects, it's perfect for treating people from overseas."
Deriving from the concept of oriental medicine which seeks the balance of the Five Elements metal, wood, water, fire and earth in medicine oriental medicine music therapy divides music into five elements and treats illneses like paralysis, language disorder and cancer.
Experts believe it will be well received by foreign patients as it helps with the circulation of the body's system by not just listening to traditional music but also by playing the instruments.
[Interview : Lee Seung-hyun, Professor
Kyunghee University International Medical Service] "The reason why foreigners like oriental music therapy is because music not only stabilizes a patient's seven modes of emotions, but also helps with the circulation of the body's system and relieves bodily stress at the same time."
And those who got a taste of oriental medicine music therapy say that this treatment could attract foreigners because it is something that can only be experienced in Korea.
[Interview : Ravinder Singh, Kenyan participant] "I think it would be received well, definitely. Because it is totally different from what we are used to in our part of the world. It will definitely be received in a positive way."
With the government and hospitals eager to foster the medical tourism industry Korea has set a target to attract some one million patients from overseas by 2020.
Hwang Sung-hee, Arirang News.
MAR 09, 2010
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Friday, SEP 03, 2010, (KST) 
