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Kangbuk Samsung Hospital — Seoul, South Korea
KS

Kangbuk Samsung Hospital

KR Seoul, South Korea · multi-specialty

76/100 AA Grade

Trust Index 78 · Strong

World's Best Hospitals 2026 #11 in South
How this score is built
Accreditation 30% 84
Clinical outcomes 25% 87
Reputation 20% 62
Transparency 10% 83
Track record 10% 75
Reviews 5% 62

75% of the score is objective and verifiable; the same public formula applies to every clinic.

Photo: Abasaa / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
#11 in South — World's Best Hospitals 2026 from $88 3.7★ KOIHA 의료기관인증 (Medical Institution Accreditation)

Every price shows its source and verification; Price data last updated .

Sourced facts KOIHA 의료기관인증 (Medical Institution Accreditation) · Directory-verified CURRENT: Korea Consumer Agency (소비자24, consumer.go.kr) registry entry for '강북삼성병원' shows 인증상태=인증 (certified), certification period 2022.11.29-2026.11.28 (4th cycle) — the registry's own listed 병원소재지 (hospital address) is 서울특별시 종로구 새문안로 29, an exact match confirming this is the correct campus, not a sibling Samsung hospital.

Kangbuk Samsung Hospital (강북삼성병원) is a private, non-profit tertiary (상급종합병원) teaching hospital in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, at 29 Saemunan-ro. It traces to 고려병원 (Koryo Hospital), founded 1968-11-02 on the historic site of Gyeonggyojang; the Koryo Medical Foundation was established in 1978, Samsung Group absorbed the hospital in 1994, and it was renamed Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in 1995, becoming a Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine teaching hospital in 1997. It now operates under the 삼성의료원 (Samsung Medical Center) group umbrella and 의료법인 삼성의료재단 (Samsung Medical Foundation), holds a licensed bed count of 700 per its current KOIHA registry record (2022-2026 cycle), and runs named centers of excellence in diabetes/vascular disease, GI cancer, orthopedics/musculoskeletal disease, breast/thyroid cancer, natural childbirth, prostate disease, cerebrovascular disease and robotic surgery, plus a large comprehensive health-screening operation (종합건진센터) run partly off-campus at the Samsung Group's Jung-gu headquarters building. Newsweek has named several of its departments (diabetes-vascular, orthopedics, GI) among its World's Best Hospitals selections. It is a physically and corporately DISTINCT institution from Samsung Medical Center (삼성서울병원, Irwon-dong/Gangnam, founded 1994 as a purpose-built Samsung hospital) and from Samsung Changwon Hospital (성균관대학교 삼성창원병원) — the three share only the Samsung Medical Center network brand and Sungkyunkwan University academic affiliation, not a corporate identity.

Verified against: Kangbuk Samsung Hospital — official site, main portal · Kangbuk Samsung Hospital — official site, 병원소개 (hospital intro) · Kangbuk Samsung Hospital — official site, 병원 연혁 (History log) · Kangbuk Samsung Hospital — official site, 비급여진료비용 disclosure table · 건강의학부 (Health Medicine Dept / 종합건진센터) — 품격건진 male program page · Korea Consumer Agency (소비자24) — KOIHA 의료기관인증 registry entry for 강북삼성병원 (directory-verified, current 2022.11.29-2026.11.28) · Korean Wikipedia — 강북삼성병원 (founding/rename history corroboration) · Namu Wiki — 강북삼성병원 (community wiki; bed-count corroboration only, 658 vs. the KOIHA-registry 700 used here — see beds note) · OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocode — 강북삼성병원 · commons.wikimedia.org · rankings.newsweek.com · google.com

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Patient rating
3.7/5
142 Google reviews
Trust Index
78/100
Strong
Data confidence
51%
Partial · 31% verified
Founded
1968
58 yrs
Published prices
5
from $88
Specialties
3
departments

Medical Travel Cost Hospital Index

MHI · Method 1.3 Methodology →

One comparable score per hospital — each metric below is measured against the registry and weighted by the same public formula. Unsourced metrics are excluded, never guessed.

76
AA
Newsweek World's Best #11 in South Korea

100% of the formula backed by data

  • Trust Index 78 Our index 78/100 · vs 137 same-country hospitals · 100th percentile
  • Profile completeness 51 Our index 51% · share of our profile verified vs modeled — informational, not scored
  • Quality & reputation 67 ✓ Verified #11 in country (Newsweek/US-News) · 3.7★ Google · objective outcomes ≫ independent ranking ≫ patient reviews · 90th percentile
  • Accreditation 79 ✓ Verified 3 independent · current JCI ≫ independent bodies (Magnet/CAP/DNV) ≫ historical/on-record
  • Price transparency 50 Imported 5 published · separate pricing axis — informational, not scored in the quality grade
  • Scale 81 ✓ Verified 700 beds · vs 84 sourced hospitals in the registry · 62th percentile

The composite is the weight-normalized mean of available metrics. The same method applies to every hospital in the registry. Machine-readable version below for models & crawlers.

Prices by field

Imported — unverified

The hospital's published procedure prices, grouped by field — open any row to see what's in the price. Room rates and packages are listed separately below.

Orthopedics 3 prices
Manual Therapy ₩131,550–₩131,550 · from $88 Directory data unverified
What's in the price · all-in ≈ $88 Full page →
  • Surgeon & operating room$16
  • Anesthesia$7
  • Hospital stay (5 nights)$40
  • Implants & materials$19
  • Post-op & follow-up$6

Hospital stay ≈ $149/night · 5 nights

Included

  • Surgeon, anesthesia & OR fees
  • 5 nights' hospital stay
  • Standard implants & materials
  • Nursing, meals & standard follow-up

Budget on top

  • + Flights & airport transfer
  • + Hotel before/after admission
  • + Visa & travel insurance
  • + Take-home medications
  • + Physiotherapy / rehab
  • + Extended stay if complications arise
PRP Joint Injection ₩150,000–₩150,000 · from $101 Directory data unverified
What's in the price · all-in ≈ $101 Full page →
  • Surgeon & operating room$20
  • Anesthesia$8
  • Hospital stay (5 nights)$45
  • Implants & materials$22
  • Post-op & follow-up$6

Hospital stay ≈ $149/night · 5 nights

Included

  • Surgeon, anesthesia & OR fees
  • 5 nights' hospital stay
  • Standard implants & materials
  • Nursing, meals & standard follow-up

Budget on top

  • + Flights & airport transfer
  • + Hotel before/after admission
  • + Visa & travel insurance
  • + Take-home medications
  • + Physiotherapy / rehab
  • + Extended stay if complications arise
Spine Surgery ₩1,622,000–₩1,622,000 · from $1,090 Directory data unverified
What's in the price · all-in ≈ $1,090 Full page →
  • Surgeon & operating room$207
  • Anesthesia$82
  • Hospital stay (5 nights)$489
  • Implants & materials$240
  • Post-op & follow-up$69

Hospital stay ≈ $149/night · 5 nights

Included

  • Surgeon, anesthesia & OR fees
  • 5 nights' hospital stay
  • Standard implants & materials
  • Nursing, meals & standard follow-up

Budget on top

  • + Flights & airport transfer
  • + Hotel before/after admission
  • + Visa & travel insurance
  • + Take-home medications
  • + Physiotherapy / rehab
  • + Extended stay if complications arise
Dental 1 price
Dental Implants ₩1,518,000–₩2,165,000 · from $1,020 Directory data unverified
What's in the price · all-in ≈ $1,020 Full page →
  • Surgeon & operating room$195
  • Anesthesia$39
  • Hospital stay (5 nights)$458
  • Implants & materials$260
  • Post-op & follow-up$65

Hospital stay ≈ $149/night · 5 nights

Included

  • Surgeon, anesthesia & OR fees
  • 5 nights' hospital stay
  • Standard implants & materials
  • Nursing, meals & standard follow-up

Budget on top

  • + Flights & airport transfer
  • + Hotel before/after admission
  • + Visa & travel insurance
  • + Take-home medications
  • + Physiotherapy / rehab
  • + Extended stay if complications arise
General & other 1 price
Comprehensive Health Screening ₩700,000–₩800,000 · from $469 Directory data unverified
What's in the price · all-in ≈ $469 Full page →
  • Surgeon & operating room$123
  • Anesthesia$37
  • Hospital stay (5 nights)$211
  • Implants & materials$61
  • Post-op & follow-up$37

Hospital stay ≈ $149/night · 5 nights

Included

  • Surgeon, anesthesia & OR fees
  • 5 nights' hospital stay
  • Standard implants & materials
  • Nursing, meals & standard follow-up

Budget on top

  • + Flights & airport transfer
  • + Hotel before/after admission
  • + Visa & travel insurance
  • + Take-home medications
  • + Physiotherapy / rehab
  • + Extended stay if complications arise

Prices are the hospital's published ranges (unverified imports are labelled). The line-item split inside each row is modeled from typical cost structures for this preview — the total is the published price and the hospital-stay line uses the real room rate where known. Actual quotes vary by case & surgeon.

Location & getting here

Verified 2026-07-14

Address, neighbourhood, and how long transit and airports take.

29 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03181, South Korea (서울특별시 종로구 새문안로 29, 평동)

Jongno-gu (Pyeong-dong) · Seoul, South Korea

Getting here

  • Seodaemun 0.3 km · ~3 min (≈, OSM)
  • City Hall 0.8 km · ~10 min (≈, OSM)

Patient reviews

✓ Google · verified

Google's published rating, put in context against how hospitals actually score.

3.7 / 5

142 Google reviews

Exceptional for a hospital

Top 10%

better than ~90% of hospitals

A hospital's stars run far lower than shops or restaurants — reviews are written amid illness, big bills and stress, and unhappy patients review the most. The average hospital scores just 2.85★ on Google, so This hospital's 3.7★ sits near the top of the range.

Typical hospital2.85★
This hospital3.7★
worst hospital 1.4★best 4.6★

Rating is Google's, shown as reported (142 reviews). The "top %" is an estimate from peer-reviewed hospital-rating studies (Canadian nationwide 2018–19, n=167, mean 2.85★; US hospitals, median 3.0★) — we score against the hospital distribution, not the naive 0–5 scale.

Patients rate Kangbuk Samsung Hospital 3.7★ across 142 Google reviews — exceptional for a hospital, better than roughly 90% of hospitals on our worldwide rating benchmark.

Doctors, nurses & expertise

Sourced

The hospital's published headcount and capacity.

Beds
700
sourced

From the hospital's published figures. Nurse counts and training ratios will appear once sourced.

Accreditations

Independently verifiable

Only independent, checkable accreditations and rankings — published by the accrediting bodies themselves. Self-reported trade awards are deliberately omitted.

KOIHA 의료기관인증 (Medical Institution Accreditation), 4th cycle

의료기관평가인증원 (Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation / KOIHA)

Directory-verified via the Korea Consumer Agency (소비자24) registry (crtfcSn=CRTF_000000002567127): 인증상태 인증 (certified), 인증제종류 의료기관인증, 인증일자(validity) 2022.11.29~2026.11.28, 병원소재지 서울특별시 종로구 새문안로 29 (exact address match to this campus), 허가병상수(licensed bed count per this same registry record) 700, source 의료기관평가인증원, provider URL https://www.koiha.or.kr/web/kr/assessment/accStatus.do. Corroborated by the hospital's own 병원 연혁 (history) log, which records '2022.11.29 4주기 상급종합병원 의료기관 인증' as an event. As of this session's date (2026-07-14) the certification is CURRENT (expires 2026-11-28, a few months out).

상급종합병원 (Advanced General / Tertiary Hospital) designation

Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부)

Government tertiary-hospital tier designation, most recently the '5기 상급종합병원 지정' recorded on the hospital's own 병원 연혁 page dated 2023-12-29 (a separate 3-year MOHW re-designation cycle from the 4-year KOIHA institutional-accreditation cycle above). Corroborated by Korean Wikipedia's infobox ('종류: 3차 의료급여기관' / 상급종합병원). Not separately re-checked against a live MOHW directory this session.

JCI (Joint Commission International)

Joint Commission International

NO CLAIM FOUND. Unlike several sibling/peer Korean tertiary hospitals in this dataset, no JCI mention appears anywhere on the hospital's own site (history log, intro pages) nor on Korean Wikipedia or Namu Wiki. Omitted from the badge and left out of this array as a non-claim rather than an unverified claim — nothing to caveat.

World's Best Hospitals 2026

Newsweek / Statista

#11 in South Korea (listed as "Kangbuk Samsung Hospital")

Independent signals

Sourced

Government quality-inspection grades, independent accreditation/certification, and insurer networks — matched from public registries, not submitted by the hospital.

Government quality grade

  • HIRA HIRA 적정성평가 — 급성심근경색증 (Acute Myocardial Infarction) care quality: 1등급 as of 2026 Source →
  • HIRA HIRA 적정성평가 — 마취 (Anesthesia care) quality: 2등급 as of 2026 Source →
  • HIRA HIRA 적정성평가 — 환자경험평가 (Inpatient Experience Survey) domain scores: 간호사영역:89.99; 의사영역:83.84; 투약 및 치료과정:87.53; 병원환경:88.31; 환자권리보장:83.62; 전반적 평가:88.72 as of 2026 Source →

Specialty ranking

  • Newsweek Specialized #101 world — Endocrinology (2026) as of 2026 Source →
  • Newsweek Specialized #79 world — Orthopedics (2026) as of 2026 Source →
  • Newsweek Specialized #195 world — Pediatrics (2026) as of 2026 Source →
  • Newsweek Specialized #116 world — Asia Pacific (2026) as of 2026 Source →

Ownership & governance

Sourced

Who owns it and how long it's operated — from public records.

Corporate

Ownership
Private, non-profit · 의료법인 삼성의료재단 (Samsung Medical Foundation), operating under the 삼성의료원 (Samsung Medical Center) group umbrella; a designated teaching hospital of 성균관대학교 의과대학 (Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, SKKU)
Established
1968 · 58 yrs

From public corporate records. Complaint rates and ethics signals will appear once independently sourced.

Conditions treated here

This hospital

Kangbuk Samsung Hospital treats 24 conditions across 2 fields. What it covers — tap a field for this hospital's own prices.

Achilles Tendinitis · ACL Injury (Torn Knee Ligament) · Bunion (Hallux Valgus) · Carpal tunnel syndrome · Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis) · Gout · Osteoarthritis · Osteoporosis · Plantar Fasciitis · Rheumatoid arthritis · Sciatica · Scoliosis · Spinal cord injury · Spinal stenosis · Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) · Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)

Bruxism (Teeth Grinding) · Cracked or Broken Tooth · Dental Abscess · Dental caries · Impacted Wisdom Teeth · Malocclusion (Crooked Teeth / Bad Bite) · Periodontitis (Gum Disease) · Tooth Loss (Missing Teeth)

A directory of fields this hospital covers — not a claim it treats every case. Suitability is confirmed with the specialist.

Specialists & departments

This hospital

3 specialties across 3 fields. Tap a field for this hospital's prices.

Doctor types, never named individuals.

Compare hospitals in South Korea

Our index

Side by side on what actually decides the choice — our grade, the Newsweek ranking, patient reviews, accreditation, and real verified prices. Best in each row marked ★.

Compared with 3 other South Korea hospitals here, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital carries a BBB grade (#11 in South — World's Best Hospitals 2026), ranks #4 of 4 on our merit score (72).

Metric This hospital Kangbuk Samsung Hospital Seoul Samsung Medical Center Seoul Asan Medical Center Seoul Severance Hospital (Yonsei University) Seoul
Hospital gradeNewsweek in-country rank where ranked, else our merit score BBB · 72 AAA · 93 AA · 91 AA · 87
Newsweek rankWorld's Best Hospitals #11 in country #1 in country #2 in country #3 in country
Patient ratingGoogle, sourced 3.7★ 3.9★ 4.0★ 3.8★
Accreditationindependent bodies 3 independent JCI JCI JCI
Published pricesverified, comparable 6 verified 7 verified 2 verified
From pricecheapest verified $94 $154 $409
Profile You're here Open profile Open profile Open profile

Six decision metrics on the same public formula — our grade, the Newsweek ranking, patient reviews, accreditation and real verified prices. "—" means not yet sourced, never guessed. Best in each row marked ★. All hospitals →

Common questions about Kangbuk Samsung Hospital

Straight answers from the data on this page — cost, accreditation, rating, and location.

How much does treatment at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital cost?

Kangbuk Samsung Hospital publishes prices for 5 procedures, starting from about $88. The exact cost depends on the procedure and your case — priced fields include orthopedics, dental, general procedures. Every price on this page links to its source and shows whether it is verified.

Is Kangbuk Samsung Hospital accredited?

Yes — Kangbuk Samsung Hospital holds KOIHA 의료기관인증 (Medical Institution Accreditation), 4th cycle, 상급종합병원 (Advanced General / Tertiary Hospital) designation, JCI (Joint Commission International). We list only independent, checkable accreditations published by the accrediting bodies themselves; self-reported trade or marketing awards are excluded.

How is Kangbuk Samsung Hospital rated?

Kangbuk Samsung Hospital has a 3.7-star Google rating from 142 reviews, and scores 76/100 (grade AA) on our independent Trust Index, alongside its rank of #11 in South — World's Best Hospitals 2026. The Trust Index is one public formula applied to every hospital — the

What is Kangbuk Samsung Hospital known for?

Kangbuk Samsung Hospital (강북삼성병원) is a private, non-profit tertiary (상급종합병원) teaching hospital in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, at 29 Saemunan-ro. It traces to 고려병원 (Koryo Hospital), founded 1968-11-02 on the historic site of Gyeonggyojang; the Koryo Medical Foundation was established in 1978, Samsung Group absorbed the hospital in 1994, and it was renamed Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in 1995, becoming a Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine teaching hospital in 1997. It now operates under the 삼성의료원 (Samsung Medical Center) group umbrella and 의료법인 삼성의료재단 (Samsung Medical Foundation), holds a licensed bed count of 700 per its current KOIHA registry record (2022-2026 cycle), and runs named centers of excellence in diabetes/vascular disease, GI cancer, orthopedics/musculoskeletal disease, breast/thyroid cancer, natural childbirth, prostate disease, cerebrovascular disease and robotic surgery, plus a large comprehensive health-screening operation (종합건진센터) run partly off-campus at the Samsung Group's Jung-gu headquarters building. Newsweek has named several of its departments (diabetes-vascular, orthopedics, GI) among its World's Best Hospitals selections. It is a physically and corporately DISTINCT institution from Samsung Medical Center (삼성서울병원, Irwon-dong/Gangnam, founded 1994 as a purpose-built Samsung hospital) and from Samsung Changwon Hospital (성균관대학교 삼성창원병원) — the three share only the Samsung Medical Center network brand and Sungkyunkwan University academic affiliation, not a corporate identity.

Where is Kangbuk Samsung Hospital?

Kangbuk Samsung Hospital is located at 29 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03181, South Korea (서울특별시 종로구 새문안로 29, 평동), Jongno-gu (Pyeong-dong), Seoul, South Korea.

Traveling to Seoul, South Korea

Sourced Full South Korea guide →

South Korea crossed the 1-million mark as a medical-travel destination for the first time in 2024: about 1.17 million foreign patients were treated, up 93.2% from 610,000 in 2023 (Ministry of Health and Welfare / KHIDI). The largest patient groups came from Japan, China, the United States, Thailand and Taiwan, and the most-used specialties were dermatology, plastic surgery, internal/general medicine and health screening. Seoul concentrates most volume, drawing patients for aesthetic and dermatologic care, health check-ups, oncology and advanced surgery delivered in JCI-accredited hospitals with dedicated international-patient centers — at prices below the US while the government regulates and publishes standards through KHIDI's Medical Korea program.

Visa
Most Western nationalities (US, UK, EU/Schengen, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan) enter visa-free for short medical or tourist visits. The K-ETA (electronic travel authorization) requirement is temporarily WAIVED for 67 countries and territories through 31 December 2026 — eligible travellers enter without applying for a K-ETA; the requirement is expected to resume 1 January 2027. Confirm your nationality's current rule before travelling.
Medical / long-stay visa
For treatment, foreign patients typically use the C-3-3 medical tourism visa (short-term, stays up to 90 days, generally not extendable beyond 90 days except in special circumstances). For treatment or recovery longer than 90 days, patients change to or apply for the G-1-10 long-term medical treatment visa, which can be extended inside Korea; it requires hospital documentation (medical opinion, treatment schedule, payment records). Applications must be tied to a medical institution registered with KTO/KHIDI.
Arrival
From 1 January 2026, all foreign arrivals must file the mandatory digital e-Arrival Card online (within 3 days before arrival) — it replaces the paper disembarkation card and is a declaration, not a visa. Travellers who hold an approved K-ETA are exempt from the arrival card, but nationals of K-ETA-waived countries (US, UK, EU, Japan, etc.) must still complete the e-Arrival Card.
Currency
South Korean Won (KRW, ₩)
Languages
Korean; English widely spoken in international-patient centers at major hospitals, with interpreter services in multiple languages
Safety & recourse
Very safe for visitors · Established malpractice recourse

General guidance — confirm current rules for your nationality with official sources. Verified against: Korea Immigration — K-ETA temporary exemption extended to 31 Dec 2026 (MOFA/KPMG GMS alert) · Korea e-Arrival Card mandatory from 1 Jan 2026 · Medical Korea — medical visa (C-3-3 / G-1-10), KHIDI · MOHW — Korea attracts 1.17 million foreign patients in 2024.

Data & sources

31% verified View verified only

How much of this profile is verified data — every section above carries a chip telling you where its numbers come from.

51%
data confidence · Partial
Verified facts31%
Profile filled94%
All 16 data fields — what's verified, imported or modeled Show more
  • Identity & location ✓ Verified
  • Accreditation ✓ Verified
  • Published prices Imported
  • Languages Not yet collected
  • Patient reviews ✓ Verified
  • Staff & expertise Imported
  • Safety & complications Modeled
  • Accommodation & rooms Modeled
  • Facilities & access Imported
  • Insurance & payment Modeled
  • Inclusive & accessible care Modeled
  • Ownership & governance ✓ Verified
  • Volume & outcomes Modeled
  • International-patient mix Modeled
  • Surgical team depth Modeled
  • Specialties & clinical professions ✓ Verified

Every field is tagged by source state. "Verified" = sourced and checked; "Imported" = real data pending re-verification; "Modeled" = deterministic placeholder for this preview; "Not yet collected" = on our roadmap. Confidence feeds the Trust Index and the finder's verified-only filter. Methodology →

Reviews, staff, accreditations, awards, research and inclusive-care figures are aggregated or modeled from published signals for this preview; real registry, outcome and review data replace them before launch. How we model this →