병원 가기
건강·안전·지원

한국에서 병원 가기

한국 의료는 수준이 높고 저렴해요 — 어려운 건 어디로 가야 하고 무슨 일이 일어나는지 아는 것이죠. 시설 5단계(감기 때문에 큰 병원에서 하루를 허비하지 않도록), 11개 진료과를 아우르는 증상 → 진료과 찾기, 접수부터 원외 약국까지 이어지는 7단계 진료 흐름, 그리고 비용 + 보험에 관한 8가지 팁을 담았어요.

어디로 갈까 — 5단계

작은 곳부터 시작하세요. 동네 의원이 문제의 약 90%를 해결해 줘요.

시설/진료과/단계별 상세 설명은 영어로 제공돼요.

Pharmacy (OTC first)

약국 · yakguk

₩3,000–12,000 · Walk-in, minutes

예약 없이 바로 가능
이럴 때 이용
Mild cold, headache, indigestion, minor cuts — before seeing any doctor

Pharmacists can recommend OTC meds for minor issues. Cheapest first step. No prescription needed for OTC. See /medical for the OTC name list.

Neighborhood clinic

의원 · uiwon

₩10,000–30,000 · 10–30 min (walk-in OK)

예약 없이 바로 가능
이럴 때 이용
Most things: cold, fever, stomach bug, skin rash, minor injury, ear/throat

The correct first stop for ~90% of problems. Single-specialty (내과, 이비인후과, 피부과…). Short wait, low cost, often some English. Walk in with your passport/ARC.

Hospital (mid-size)

병원 · byeongwon

₩20,000–60,000 · 30–60 min

예약 없이 바로 가능
이럴 때 이용
Needs imaging/X-ray, minor procedures, or a clinic referred you up

Bigger than a 의원, multiple departments + basic imaging. Good middle tier when a clinic can't handle it but you don't need a university hospital.

General / university hospital

종합병원 / 대학병원 · jonghap-byeongwon / daehak-byeongwon

₩25,000–100,000 · 1+ hour; appointment often required

진료의뢰서가 필요한 경우가 많음
이럴 때 이용
Serious/complex conditions, surgery, or specialist care after a referral

Don't start here for minor issues — long waits, higher cost, and many require a 진료의뢰서 (referral) from a clinic. Best English support + international clinics live here (Severance, Samsung, Asan, St. Mary's).

Emergency room

응급실 · eunggeupsil

₩60,000–300,000 · Triaged by severity

예약 없이 바로 가능
이럴 때 이용
True emergencies, severe injury, chest pain, high fever at night/weekends

Open 24/7 but expensive and slow for non-emergencies. For after-hours non-emergencies, call 119 first — besides ambulances it answers "which clinic/pharmacy near me is open" and can bring an interpreter on the line. (The old 1339 medical-information line was folded into 119 in 2013; 1339 today is the KDCA infectious-disease line.) You can also check the 응급의료포털 e-gen.or.kr.

어느 진료과? — 증상으로 검색

한국에서는 진료과를 직접 골라요. 증상을 입력해 알맞은 진료과를 찾아보세요.

11 개

Dental

치과 · chikwa
Go here if
Toothache, dental pain, broken filling, cleaning
toothachedental painbroken toothgum

Dermatology

피부과 · pibukwa
Go here if
Skin rash, acne, allergy on skin, hair/scalp issues
rashacneitchinghivesskin allergy

ENT (ear/nose/throat)

이비인후과 · ibiinhukwa
Go here if
Sore throat, blocked nose, sinus, ear pain, dizziness
sore throatrunny nosesinusearachedizziness

General surgery

외과 · oekwa
Go here if
Cuts needing stitches, lumps, hernias, minor surgical issues
deep cutwoundlumphernia

Internal medicine

내과 · naekwa
Go here if
Cold, flu, fever, stomach/digestive issues, general illness
coldfevercoughstomachachediarrheafatigue

OB/GYN

산부인과 · sanbuinkwa
Go here if
Women's health, pregnancy, gynecological concerns
gynecologicalpregnancymenstrual

Ophthalmology

안과 · ankwa
Go here if
Eye pain, red eye, vision issues, conjunctivitis, contacts
eye painred eyeblurred visionconjunctivitis

Orthopedics

정형외과 · jeonghyeong-oekwa
Go here if
Bone, joint, muscle, back, sprain or fracture
sprainback painjoint painfracturemuscle pain

Pediatrics

소아과 · soakwa
Go here if
Any illness in children (see also /family-with-kids)
child feverchild coldchild rashvaccination

Psychiatry / mental health

정신건강의학과 · jeongsin-geongang-uihakkwa
Go here if
Anxiety, depression, sleep, mental-health support
anxietydepressioninsomniapanicstress

Urology

비뇨기과 · binyogikwa
Go here if
Urinary issues, UTI, kidney/bladder, male health
UTIurinary painkidneybladder

진료 7단계 흐름

  1. 1

    Pick the right tier + department · 의원 / 진료과 선택

    For most issues choose a neighborhood 의원 of the matching department (e.g. cold → 내과, sore throat → 이비인후과). Don't default to a big hospital. Find one on Naver Map; many show "외국인 진료" or English on their listing.

  2. 2

    Walk in or book · 예약 또는 방문

    Clinics usually take walk-ins; big hospitals often need a phone/online appointment. Mornings and early afternoons are least crowded. Avoid Monday mornings + post-holiday rush.

  3. 3

    Register at reception (접수) · 접수

    Hand over your passport (tourists) or ARC (residents) and fill a short first-visit form. Say your main symptom. You get a number and wait. First-visit forms may be Korean-only — a translation app helps.

  4. 4

    See the doctor (진료) · 진료

    Consults are quick — often 6–8 minutes. State your symptoms plainly; the doctor examines and decides treatment. Ask for an English explanation if needed; many doctors read English even if they speak little.

  5. 5

    Pay at the desk (수납) · 수납

    Pay on the way out — card or cash. Without Korean insurance you pay the full price (still cheap: a cold visit ≈ ₩10k–20k at a clinic). Residents on NHIS pay ~30%. Ask for a 영수증 (receipt) if you'll claim travel insurance.

  6. 6

    Get the prescription (처방전) · 처방전

    The clinic does NOT give you medicine (의약분업 = prescribing and dispensing are separated). You receive a printed 처방전 to take to a pharmacy. Keep both copies.

  7. 7

    Fill it at a pharmacy (약국) · 약국

    Go to any 약국 — there's almost always one next to or near the clinic. Hand over the 처방전; the pharmacist dispenses + explains dosage. Medicine is cheap and fast. Done.

비용, 보험 + 실용 팁

  • Tourists pay full price — but it's cheapShort-stay foreigners aren't on NHIS, so you pay the uninsured rate. It's still modest: a clinic cold visit + meds often totals under ₩25,000. Keep receipts (영수증) for your travel-insurance claim.
  • Residents: NHIS makes it ~30%If you have an ARC + are enrolled in 국민건강보험 (NHIS — mandatory for most long-stay visas), you pay only ~30% at the desk. Bring your ARC; the clinic looks you up by it.
  • Start at a 의원, not a hospitalFor everyday illness, a neighborhood clinic is faster, cheaper, and enough. University hospitals are for serious cases or referrals — going there first means long waits and sometimes a required 진료의뢰서.
  • English-speaking hospitals existFor complex care in English, the international clinics at Severance, Samsung Medical, Asan, and St. Mary's have English coordinators. Book ahead. For minor issues, a local clinic + translation app is faster.
  • After hours: call 119 firstFor non-emergency help at night/weekends, call 119 (24h, interpretation available) to find an open clinic or pharmacy — cheaper than going straight to the ER, and the same number sends an ambulance for a true emergency. Don't dial 1339 for this: the 1339 medical-information line was discontinued in 2013 and the service moved to 119, so 1339 now reaches the KDCA infectious-disease call center. The 응급의료포털 (e-gen.or.kr) lists open clinics/pharmacies too.
  • Medicine = separate pharmacyKorea separates prescribing from dispensing (의약분업). The clinic gives a 처방전; you fill it at a 약국. There's nearly always one right next door — look for the green cross sign.
  • Need a doctor's note?Ask for a 진단서 (medical certificate) or 소견서 (doctor's opinion) if you need proof for work, school, insurance, or a flight change. It costs extra (₩10k–20k) and you must request it explicitly.
  • Translation + finding the clinicUse Naver Map (filter for 외국인 진료 / English) to find a clinic, and a translation app for the intake form. Save the clinic's Korean name to /address-card so a cab driver can take you there.

병원에서 쓰는 회화집

I am a foreigner. Can I be seen here?
외국인인데 진료 받을 수 있어요?
Oegugin-inde jillyo badeul su isseoyo?
I don't have Korean insurance. How much is it?
한국 보험이 없어요. 얼마예요?
Hanguk boheomi eopseoyo. Eolmayeyo?
I have a fever and a sore throat.
열이 나고 목이 아파요.
Yeori nago mogi apayo.
Where is the nearest pharmacy?
가까운 약국이 어디예요?
Gakkaun yakgugi eodiyeyo?
Can I get a receipt, please?
영수증 주세요.
Yeongsujeung juseyo.
I need a medical certificate.
진단서가 필요해요.
Jindanseoga piryohaeyo.

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