Sancheong Teams Up With Geochang and more as South Korea unveils new Traditional Korean Medicine journeys for global travellers. Today, Sancheong and Geochang stand alongside more South Korea destinations, giving global travellers fresh ways to discover Traditional Korean Medicine. Moreover, these journeys connect travellers with Korean wellness, herbal traditions, forest experiences and cultural heritage. As South Korea continues to attract global travellers, Sancheong and Geochang are gaining attention for distinctive Traditional Korean Medicine experiences. Meanwhile, more destinations are expanding this wellness journey beyond Seoul. Travel And Tour World urges travellers to read the entire story to discover how Sancheong, Geochang and more destinations are reshaping South Korea’s wellness travel landscape.

Traditional Korean Medicine Tourism in South Korea: Six Lesser-Known Wellness Destinations Global Travellers Can Explore

South Korea‘s traditional Korean medicine tourism is moving beyond Seoul’s best-known medical districts. Travellers can now discover smaller cities and rural areas where herbal medicine, healing forests, wellness programmes and cultural heritage come together.

The country’s wider medical tourism market reached a historic milestone in 2025. Korea recorded 2,011,822 foreign patients from 201 countries. The number was 71.9 per cent higher than the 1,170,467 recorded in 2024. The cumulative number since 2009 reached about 7.06 million.

Traditional Korean medicine forms an important part of this wider ecosystem. Official tourism material highlights acupuncture, medicinal herbs, Chuna manual medicine and other non-surgical approaches. It also notes that international patients have reported more than 90 per cent satisfaction with traditional Korean medicine treatments.

For travellers, the opportunity is broader than visiting a clinic. Several destinations combine hanbang experiences with forests, mountains, markets, traditional food, hot springs, temples and rural accommodation.

South Korea’s Five-Year Medical Tourism Data Shows the Scale of the Market

The following national figures provide the clearest five-year context for the development of medical travel in Korea.

The annual figures come from KHIDI and Korean government medical-tourism statistics. The 2022 total was 248,110, while 2023 reached 605,768. The 2024 figure was 1,170,467. Korea Tourism Organization reported 2,011,822 foreign patients in 2025.

From 2021 to 2025, the annual number of foreign patients increased by roughly 13.8 times. However, these figures represent foreign patients across Korea’s medical sector. They should not be interpreted as traditional Korean medicine tourists alone.

Where International Medical Travellers Are Coming From

The 2025 market also became substantially more international.

China and Japan together represented about 60.6 per cent of foreign patients in 2025. The figures show how strongly East Asian markets contribute to Korea’s international medical travel sector.

Seoul Remains the Main Gateway, But Travellers Can Look Beyond the Capital

Seoul continues to dominate Korea’s international medical tourism landscape.

In 2024, 999,642 foreign medical tourists received treatment in Seoul. That represented about 85 per cent of all foreign medical patients recorded nationwide. Seoul’s international medical tourists also generated approximately KRW 2.8634 trillion in credit-card spending during the year, including about KRW 1.231 trillion in medical spending.

Yet the concentration in Seoul also creates an opportunity for travellers interested in a quieter experience.

Destinations such as Sancheong, Jecheon, Wanju, Yeongcheon, Geochang and Daegu provide different forms of traditional medicine and wellness travel.

Some are rural. Others are regional cities. Several combine medicine with nature and heritage rather than presenting treatment as the only reason to visit.

Six Lesser-Known South Korean Destinations for Traditional Korean Medicine Tourism

1. Sancheong: A Mountain Destination Built Around Traditional Korean Medicine

Sancheong in Gyeongsangnam-do is one of the most distinctive destinations for travellers wanting to understand Korean medicine through its cultural roots. The centrepiece is Sancheong Donguibogam Village, a traditional Korean medicine-themed tourism complex developed around the legacy of Donguibogam, the famous Joseon-era medical text associated with physician Heo Jun. The complex includes the Museum of Sancheong Korean Medicine, Korean Medicine Theme Park, Sancheong Medicinal Herb Hall, Ki Experience Hall, Korean Medicine Recreational Forest and Korean medicine clinics. Visitors can experience herbal foot baths, heat therapy, herbal fragrance activities and other programmes. The village also provides accommodation surrounded by nature and food prepared using locally grown medicinal herbs.

For travellers, Sancheong works particularly well as a two-night wellness stop. Day one can begin with Donguibogam Village and its museum before an herbal foot bath. Day two can combine a Korean medicine experience with a forest walk and a visit to nearby Namsa Yedam Village, known for traditional houses. Travellers interested in local food should look for Sancheong-grown herbal ingredients, regional Korean dishes and local agricultural products rather than treating the destination only as a medical stop. The village’s museum and exhibition facilities generally operate from 9am to 6pm, while major exhibition facilities close on Mondays and selected Korean holidays. The official visitor information lists adult admission to the themed halls and museum at KRW 2,000, with lower rates for teenagers and children.

Suggested Sancheong travel plan

Best for: Travellers seeking traditional medicine, mountains, heritage and slow travel.

2. Jecheon: Herbal Landscapes, Lake Views and Wellness Travel

Jecheon in Chungcheongbuk-do offers another strong option for travellers interested in Korean herbal medicine without staying in the capital. The city has developed a substantial traditional medicine identity around its medicinal-herb resources. Jecheon Oriental Medicine Expo Park includes the Hanbang Life Science Center, Fermentation Museum, medicinal herb sales and exhibition facilities and Hanu Plaza. The park also offers traditional medicine-related activities.

A second attraction is Jecheon Wild Herb Village. It sits between Geumsusan Mountain and Cheongpungho Lake, an environment associated with medicinal herbs and forest products. Visitors can participate in herbal soap-making, natural dyeing and rice-cake-making activities. The village also offers extended stays lasting a week or even a month, subject to accommodation and programme arrangements.

Jecheon’s wider tourism scale is considerably larger than its traditional-medicine niche suggests. The city recorded approximately 11.13 million tourist visits in 2024 according to tourism-point statistics cited by Jecheon and regional reporting. The figure represented an increase from approximately 10.33 million in 2023. The largest visitor concentrations were recorded around Cheongpung, Uirimji and Bakdaljae.

The city is therefore suitable for travellers wanting to combine wellness with sightseeing. A three-day itinerary can include Cheongpung Lake, Uirimji, the Oriental Medicine Expo Park and Wild Herb Village. Visitors can also explore Jecheon Central Market and regional Korean cuisine.

Suggested Jecheon travel plan

Best for: Travellers combining herbal culture with mountains, lakes and longer stays.

3. Wanju: Rural Hanbang Experiences Near Jeonju

Wanju provides a more village-based interpretation of traditional Korean medicine tourism. The Andeok Health and Healing Village is located near Moaksan Mountain and is described by Korea Tourism Organization as Korea’s first health and healing experience village. Its programmes were designed in cooperation with a traditional Korean medicine clinic.

Visitors can experience mugwort moxibustion, earthen steam sauna programmes, herbal sachet-making and other wellness activities. The village includes a healing experience centre, traditional sauna, food experience centre, well-being restaurant and accommodation. Seven red-clay cottages are available alongside studio-style accommodation at Soo Pension.

Wanju works especially well when paired with Jeonju. Korea Tourism Organization’s health-and-healing itinerary connects Jeonju, Wanju and Jinan. The route combines Jeonju Hanok Village with traditional food, crafts and an overnight hanok experience before continuing to Andeok.

Travellers can begin in Jeonju and spend a day among more than 700 traditional houses in Hanok Village. After traditional tea and local dishes, the journey can continue towards Andeok. The next day can focus on moxibustion, herbal experiences and the red-clay sauna.

Wanju’s visitor numbers have also become substantial. The Wanju government reported 24.01 million visitors in 2025, based on Korea Tourism Data Lab analysis. It said the number was around one million higher than 2024. The statistics use telecommunications, card and navigation data and exclude residents and people simply passing through the area.

Suggested food: Jeonju bibimbap, traditional Korean tea, local vegetables and regional fermented foods.

Best for: Travellers wanting village wellness, hanok culture and rural Korean food.

4. Yeongcheon: Herbal Medicine Meets Rural Culture

Yeongcheon in Gyeongsangbuk-do offers an especially interesting option for visitors who want to experience traditional Korean medicine through festivals and local culture. The city hosts the Yeongcheon Traditional Korean Medicine Festival, normally held in May. The event combines traditional medicine programmes with exhibitions and seasonal flowers. The 2024 festival took place from May 17 to 19 at Yeongcheon Hanui Village.

The destination can be expanded into a slower rural itinerary. Travellers can combine the medicine-themed experience with Yeongcheon Starlight Village, Bohyeonsan Mountain and the surrounding countryside. Yeongcheon Starlight Village offers accommodation, cultural spaces and access to the Bohyeonsan Starlight Trail.

A useful travel strategy is to visit during the traditional medicine festival period. Visitors can then connect the herbal theme with local markets, rural food and nearby nature.

The destination is particularly suitable for travellers who do not want their wellness itinerary to feel like a hospital visit. The traditional medicine festival provides a cultural entry point, while the mountain and astronomy attractions broaden the journey.

Suggested travel plan

Travellers should confirm festival dates before booking because event schedules can change annually.

Best for: Families, cultural travellers and visitors interested in festivals and rural wellness.

5. Geochang: Forest Healing, Herbal Skincare and Mountain Wellness

Geochang in Gyeongsangnam-do brings traditional wellness closer to forest tourism. Its Anti-Aging Healing Land sits at the foot of 1,046-metre Udusan Mountain. The destination includes forest trails, a barrier-free wooden deck, a Y-shaped suspension bridge and native plant areas.

The attraction’s forest-healing programmes include guided walks and activities built around the natural environment. Official tourism information lists forest healing, guided forest tours and programmes involving meditation, plant-based activities and other relaxation-focused experiences.

Geochang also has a strong connection with herbal ingredients through SKYLAKE. The cosmetics café uses medicinal herbs and naturally derived ingredients and allows visitors to participate in making personal skincare products. Its location near Deogyusan and Jirisan makes it possible to combine herbal experiences with mountain scenery.

The destination has accommodation within the healing-land complex. Official tourism information lists the Forest Recreation Center and Forest House. Previously published rates were approximately KRW 70,000–150,000 for the Forest Recreation Center and KRW 100,000–140,000 for Forest House accommodation, although travellers should verify current prices before booking.

Geochang recorded 6,617,912 visitors in 2024 according to KT telecommunications-based data cited by the Geochang County Council, compared with 6,584,477 in 2023. The council also reported 2,390,882 visits to the county’s nine representative attractions in 2024.

Suggested food: Geochang apples and apple-based drinks, regional Korean dishes and locally produced agricultural foods.

Best for: Forest wellness, mountain landscapes, herbal skincare and outdoor travel.

6. Daegu: A Regional City With a 350-Year Herbal Medicine Tradition

Daegu is less rural than the other destinations on this list, but its Yangnyeongsi district makes it one of Korea’s most accessible regional centres for traditional medicine culture.

Daegu Yangnyeongsi has a history stretching back more than 350 years. The city’s Medicinal Herb Wholesale Market remains associated with traditional herbal medicine, while the Yangnyeongsi Museum of Oriental Medicine provides exhibitions and hands-on activities.

The museum displays around 300 items and provides information in four languages. Experiences include medicinal herb foot baths, herbal soap-making, herbal mist and lip-balm activities, traditional costume experiences and herbal tea tasting.

The Korean Medicine Experience Town adds another layer. Visitors can undertake body-composition and skin-age checks, try herbal cosmetics and experience herbal foot baths. Korea Tourism Organization also identifies a nearby traditional medicine consultation option.

Daegu’s wider tourism market is sizeable. Daegu Tourism Data Lab reported approximately 98.65 million tourism visits in 2024, including about 6.98 million foreign visitor trips. The figures are big-data estimates and should not be confused with unique international tourists.

The city is also practical for a short wellness break. Visitors can combine Yangnyeongsi with Seomun Market, Dongseong-ro, Gyesan Cathedral and nearby cultural attractions.

Suggested food: Herbal tea, Daegu-style local dishes, traditional market snacks and regional Korean cuisine.

Best for: First-time wellness travellers who want traditional medicine without leaving a major city.

Five-Year Visitor Comparison: What the Available Data Actually Shows

A major challenge when researching traditional Korean medicine tourism is that Korea does not publish a single five-year dataset showing visitors specifically travelling to each hanbang destination.

The available official and government-linked figures use different methodologies.

This distinction is important because tourism statistics can count visits rather than unique people. Some datasets use mobile telecommunications, card transactions and navigation information. Others count admissions at designated tourism points.

For example, Wanju’s 2025 figure excludes residents, people merely passing through and frequent daily-life visitors. Geochang’s statistics cited by the county council are based on KT big data. Jecheon’s 2024 figure comes from major tourism-point visitor statistics.

Therefore, adding these numbers together would create a misleading national comparison.

The Wider Medical Tourism Five-Year Comparison

The national medical-patient series is more consistent and provides the clearest benchmark.

Korea’s medical tourism market therefore expanded sharply after the pandemic. The 2025 total was nearly 3.4 times the 2023 level and about 13.8 times the 2021 figure.

The data does not mean traditional Korean medicine alone produced the increase. Dermatology, plastic surgery, internal medicine and health check-ups also account for large portions of the international medical market. In 2024, dermatology alone accounted for 56.6 per cent of foreign-patient visits.

Traditional Korean Medicine: What Can Travellers Actually Experience?

Korea Tourism Organization specifically identifies acupuncture, Chuna, herbal medicine and other traditional therapies as components of Korean medicine tourism.

How to Build a Traditional Korean Medicine Travel Route

Travellers can create a wider itinerary instead of visiting a clinic and immediately leaving the country.

Seven-Day Traditional Korean Medicine and Wellness Route

A longer route can continue south towards Sancheong and Geochang.

What Should Travellers Eat During a Hanbang Trip?

Food is an important part of the travel experience, but travellers should distinguish ordinary local cuisine from medically prescribed diets.

The Seoul K-Medi Center includes medicinal-herb tea and lotus-leaf rice among its food-related experiences. Daegu’s Yangnyeongsi area is also associated with medicinal herb tea products.

Where Should Travellers Stay?

Accommodation should depend on the purpose of the trip.

Travellers receiving medical treatment should prioritise proximity to their medical institution. Korea Tourism Organization guidance for medical travellers also highlights accommodation planning around treatment. For wellness holidays, rural accommodation can instead become part of the experience.

Andeok provides seven red-clay cottages and studio accommodation, while Geochang’s Anti-Aging Healing Land includes dedicated forest accommodation. Yeongcheon Starlight Village also provides guest rooms and other visitor facilities.

What Travellers Should Check Before Booking Treatment

Traditional Korean medicine tourism is different from ordinary sightseeing.

Travellers should first decide whether they want a cultural wellness experience or actual medical treatment.

For medical treatment, the provider should be checked carefully. Visitors should ask about practitioner qualifications, treatment duration, expected follow-up, costs and language support.

Travellers should also disclose medicines, allergies and relevant medical information to the healthcare provider.

Korea’s official tourism system provides information about medical institutions and international-patient services. Some registered facilities provide foreign-language assistance and international patient coordinators.

Language Support for International Travellers

Language assistance is increasingly important as medical tourism becomes more international.

The 1330 Korea Travel Helpline supports Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian, according to Korea Tourism Organization information.

Some individual medical institutions also provide interpreters or international-patient coordinators. For example, the officially listed Luke Korean Medicine Hospital in Jeonju provides interpretation coordination in Russian and Mongolian and also lists hotel booking and airport transfer support.

Travellers should nevertheless confirm language availability directly before booking.

Traditional Korean Medicine Can Become a Cultural Journey

For global travellers, the appeal of traditional Korean medicine is not limited to treatment.

It can become a way to explore Korean history, markets, mountains, traditional food and rural communities.

Seoul offers the largest concentration of international medical services. Daegu provides a major historical herbal-medicine district. Wanju connects hanbang with rural healing. Jecheon links medicinal herbs with mountains and lakes. Sancheong places traditional medicine at the centre of a dedicated cultural destination. Geochang adds forest therapy and herbal skincare. Yeongcheon introduces medicine through festivals and countryside experiences.

Together, these destinations demonstrate how Korea’s wellness landscape extends far beyond the capital.

For travellers planning a wellness-focused Korean holiday, the most meaningful approach is therefore to combine appropriate healthcare services with cultural attractions, nature, local food and sufficient time for rest.

The result is not simply a medical trip.

It is a broader journey through one of Korea’s distinctive cultural traditions.

Conclusion

Sancheong, Geochang and other South Korean destinations are opening a fresh chapter in wellness travel. Traditional Korean Medicine now gives global travellers more ways to explore Korea beyond its famous cities and beauty attractions. From herbal experiences and forest healing to cultural villages and traditional food, these destinations offer journeys rooted in Korean heritage. Moreover, travellers can combine wellness activities with nature, local markets and authentic cultural encounters. As interest in health-focused holidays continues to expand, South Korea’s lesser-known destinations could become valuable additions to future itineraries. Travel And Tour World encourages global travellers to explore these distinctive journeys while discovering the cultural depth behind Korean wellness traditions.

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