• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.180-184
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• 2024

Since COVID-19, many foreign tourists have visited Korea for medical tourism. When statistical data were checked from 2022, after COVID-19, the number of foreign patients visiting Korea for two years was 24.8 million, an increase of 70.1% from 2020. It was confirmed that it has achieved a 50% level compared to 2019 (Statistics Office, 2023). Therefore, to create a development plan by linking medical tourism and wellness tourism, the purpose of this study is to find the link between medical tourism and wellness tourism as big data and present a development plan. In this research method, medical tourism, and wellness tourism for two years from 2022 to 2023 from the post-COVID period as big data are set as central keywords to compare text data to find common points. When analyzing wellness tourism and medical tourism, it was confirmed that most wellness tourism had a greater frequency than medical tourism. This confirmed that wellness tourism occupies a larger pie than medical tourism. As a result, when checking the word frequency, it was confirmed that wellness tourism and medical tourism share a lot as complex tourism products, and when checking 2-gram, to attract many medical tourists, it is necessary to combine medical tourism clusters and wellness tourism according to each other's characteristics among local governments.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.255-262
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• 2020

Recently, medical tourism is recognized as a high value-added industry because of its longer period of stay and higher expenditure than general tourism. In particular, although the number of medical tourists visiting Korea is increasing, the perception of Korean medical services is low. The purpose of this paper is to develop the app which, based on medical tourism type, recommends tourism destinations. Additionally, this proposed app can expand general tourism as well. It can provide tourists with medical information easily by sorting types tourists. Besides, as medical tourists normally stay long, we can take the advantage of post-treatment time. This app collects medical information data and tourist destination data, and categorizes the types of medical tourists into four categories: disease medical tourism, traditional medical tourism, cosmetic medical tourism, and recreational medical tourism. It provides medical information according to each type and recommends customized tourist destinations. User-based collaborative filtering is applied for tourist destination recommendations.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.1-21
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• 2021

Purpose - The purpose of this research is to develop two medical tourism system models which explain medical tourism phenomenon with a systemic approach. Design/methodology - This research was conducted by using a qualitative data analysis which mainly refers to previous references of medical tourism in the areas of tourism and medicine. Leiper's tourism system model was utilized as a conceptual framework. In-depth interviews with experts in the field were conducted in order to pretest the models. Findings - This research suggests a medical tourism system framework and a medical service provision framework. The first model presents medical tourism components and their relationships within a framework presented in a diagram. The second model shows the relationships among medical services required by medical tourists, the service providers, and service human resources along with movements of medical tourists. Originality/value - The first model presents a spatial composition of medical tourism components and their relationships, whereas the second model shows the linkage among medical services, the service providers, and relevant service human resources along with time sequential steps of medical tourists. These two models are complementary and may be used as useful tools to observe medical tourism phenomenon with a systemic and holistic approach. These two models may enable stake holders avoid unnecessary confusions and conflicts that result in duplication of government policies and a waste of budget and human resources.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.193-202
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• 2019

Purpose : The study was conducted to analyze the differences in perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge of health tourism students' medical tourism industry as a basic data for improving the curriculum for human resource development that can be activated by the medical tourism industry. Methods : The questionnaires were directly distributed and retrieved from 394 university students attending 4 year college health department and tourism department of some regions (IRB approval number, KW-2017-05). The questionnaire used the Likert 5-point scale to analyze differences in perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge levels in the medical tourism industry. Independent sample t tests were conducted to examine the differences in perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge about the medical tourism industry between the two groups. Results : Results obtained from this study are as follows. 1. Differences in perceptions of the medical tourism industry were 3.44 points for health and 3.45 points for tourism (p<.05). 2. The difference in attitude level was 2.28 for health and 2.79 for tourism. And that tourism has a high perception and attitude. The knowledge of medical tourism industry was 5.93 in health department and 7.11 in sight tourism, and the tourism sector was significantly higher (p<.001). 3. As a result of analysis on attitudes, interest, direct and indirect experience, practical knowledge acquisition, and development possibility were all statistically significant. 4. 98.6 % of the health students and 97.8 % of the tourism students did not obtain the qualification for the qualification of the international medical tourism coordinator. However, in the future, respondents who answered that they have obtained the certificate of international medical tourism coordinator responded positively to 54.9 % of tourism department and 25.2 % of health department. Conclusion : A systematic education of the medical tourism industry will improve the level of human resource development in the medical tourism industry, including the acquisition of international medical tourism coordinator certification, as well as the level of medical tourism industry awareness, knowledge and attitude.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.32-45
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to develop two medical tourism system models which explain medical tourism phenomenon with a systemic approach. Methodology/Approach: This research was conducted using a qualitative data analysis which mainly refer previous references in relation to medical tourism in the areas of tourism and medicine. Leiper's tourism system model was utilized as a conceptual framework. In-depth interviews with experts in the area were attempted in order to pretest the models. Findings: This research suggests a medical tourism system framework and a medical service provision framework. The first model presents medical tourism components and their relationships within a framework presented in a diagram. The second model shows the relationships among medical services required by medical tourists, the service providers, and service human resources along with movements of medical tourists. Practical Implications: The first model presents a spatial composition of medical tourism components and their relationships, whereas the second model shows the linkage among medical services, the service providers, and relevant service human resources along with time sequential steps of medical tourists. These two models are complementary and may be used as useful tools to observe medical tourism phenomenon with a systemic and holistic approach. These two models may enable stake holders avoid unnecessary confusions and conflicts that result in duplication of government policies and a waste of budget and human resources.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.41-50
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• 2013

Objectives: As a newcomer to the medical tourism industry, Korea needs to differentiate itself from the leading competing countries to vitalize its early-stage medical tourism industry. This study aims to introduce a strategic plan to vitalize the Korean integrated medical tourism so that Korea can differentiate itself from competing countries and create high added value. Methods: The concept and actual conditions of medical tourism and Oriental medical tourism were examined. A plan to differentiate Korea from the competing countries in the medical tourism industry was studied to create high added-value through strategic vitalization of its medical tourism industry. Results: Korean integrated medical tourism must be developed differently from those of other South-East Asian countries in order to strategically promote the cash-cow medical tourism industry. In order to develop such medical tourism, Korean medical practice, which integrates Western and Oriental medicine, is to be developed through mutual understanding and fusion of other disciplines among medical doctors and Oriental medical doctors who are working in local healthcare for health promotion of local residents and disease prevention and control. This will play a key role in developing a unique medical tourism product of Korea by means of strategic alliances as an integrated medicine. Manpower specialized for integrated medicine is to be specially supplied for Oriental medicine-related business lines at city, county and borough levels, among local governments, that are enthusiastically carrying forward Oriental medical tourism with an interest to promoting more active and strategic business development and raise the effectiveness and efficiency of public health centers handling related medical tourism. Manpower specialized for Korean integrated medical tourism is to be specially supplied for the Ministry of Culture, Health and Tourism, a policy control tower to develop and vitalize high value-added fusion (theme) tourism products such as the Korean integrated medical tourism, in order to discover, promote and support Korean integrated medical tourism's differences from existing medical tourism. Conclusions: The differentiated integrated medical tourism that only Korea can offer in a variety of forms, in order to create a key area of high value-added medical tourism, should be strategically vitalized through a liaison between integrated medicine and tourism and the realization of patient-centered health care services with medical technology developed based on mutual understanding of Western and Oriental medicine.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.9-16
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• 2012

Objectives: This study was purposed to gain basic information for design of medical tourism for Japanese tourists using traditional Korean medicine (KTM). Methods: A questionnaire regarding Korean traditional medical tourism was administered to Japanese tourists. 224 valid responses were selected, and their awareness of KTM, preferred subject and decision factors for participation in Korea traditional medical tourism were analyzed by SPSS 19.0 version. Results: 23.6% of surveyees gave a positive answer on interest in medical tourism of KTM and 44.6% showed a middle degree. The most preferred subject was medical check-up followed by skin aesthetics, orthopedics and gynecology. Communication, medical skill level, hospital facilities and medical expenses were indicated as the important factor for participation's decision on KTM-based medical tourism. Conclusions: KTM-based medical tourism could be a driving motor of medical tourism in Korea. The medical check & skin care associated medical services are recommended, and the public relationship for awareness of KTM supported by government is strongly required for acquisition of Japanese tourists.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.54-61
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• 2012

Objectives : This study aimed to obtain general information for the design of a medical tourism plan toward Chinese using Korean medicine (KM). Methods : A questionnaire was asked of Chinese tourists regarding of Korea traditional medical tourism. 148 valid responses were obtained and their awareness of KM, and preferred subject and decision factors for their participation in Korea traditional medical tourism were analyzed using SPSS version 12.0. Results : 72% of respondents showed over a moderate degree of interest in medical tourism of KM. The most preferred subject was skin aesthetics, followed by medical check-ups and rehabilitation. Medical skill level, communication, and medical cost were indicated as the important factors for participants' decisions about KM-based medical tourism. Conclusions : Medical tourism could be a potential avenue for development by the KM-based Korean medical industry. Cosmetic-associated medical services are recommended, and enhanced public relations about KM-medical skill levels are strongly suggested for Chinese tourists.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.137-143
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• 2009

1. Objective : This study aims to evaluate the medical tourism structures in countries with prosperous medical tourism industry such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and India in order ro propose optimal strategies that can promote the medical tourism in Korea. 2. Methods : All pertinent literature concerning medical tourism directly and indirectly were assessed, and reviews of medical tourism strategies found in various countries were evaluated. 3. Results : Evaluation of related literature reveals that medical tourism is a recent burgeoning industry that has grown In market size considerably in the last five to ten years. Also, it shows that oriental medicine is a highly likely candidate amidst the various medical fields for attraction foreign patients. 4. Conclusion : The Korean government should support and install appropriate legal and administrative bodies in order to attract medical tourists; Korea-specific medical tourism programs (ie. traditional Korean medicine package tours) should be developed in order to attract medical tourists from the western world and the middle-east. In addition, low-price policy of medical tourism is not a proper strategies for the competition against advanced medical tourism destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and India. Differentiated medical tourism package such as oriental medical tourism program rather than provision of low-price policy seems to be more effective strategy for the medical tourism in Korea. Future studies on strategies for promoting medical tourism should focus on how foreigners recognize traditional Korean medicine, what diagnostic approach might be appealing to them and how the legal system concerning the medical procedures may be altered and modified.

• International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.36-39
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• 2022

Medical tourism is recognized as a high value-added industry due to its longer stay and more useful costs than general tourism, and is growing rapidly around the world, especially in Asia. In addition, medical tourism is a new form of tourism that combines medical services with tourism activities such as recreation, leisure, and cultural activities, nowadays, medical tourism is emphasizing the combination of medical and tourism. Although Korea medical system and clinic have excellent medical equipment and infrastructure, it is not consistent with policy support and legislation. That have make it difficult for consumers to choose clinics for medical tourism. Therefore, it is necessary to provide customized information to the clinics that consumers want to match each other's services. In particular, it is aimed at consumers with simple procedures and cosmetic purposes, especially at small hospitals. In this paper, we propose a customized service platform that matches users seeking clinics and also medical tourism. Also we can easy to reservation clinic for medical tour.