National Medical Center
KR Seoul, South Korea · multi-specialty
Trust Index 79 · Strong
How this score is built
75% of the score is objective and verifiable; the same public formula applies to every clinic.
Every price shows its source and verification; Price data last updated .
National Medical Center (국립중앙의료원, NMC) is South Korea's national public general hospital, at Eulji-ro 245, Jung-gu, central Seoul — distinct from Seoul Medical Center (서울의료원), a separate city-run institution. It traces to 1951-1958 Korean War-era medical aid from Sweden, Denmark and Norway together with the UN Korean Reconstruction Agency (UNKRA), opened for treatment on 1958.11.28 with 320 beds as '국립의료원', passed to full Korean government operation in 1968, and was converted into its current special-corporation ('특수법인') legal status in 2010 under a dedicated 2009 enabling act. Its mission statement is 'For the People's Healthier Tomorrow' (국민의 건강한 내일을 지키는 국가중심병원). It holds a current KOIHA acute-care hospital accreditation (4th cycle, cert 4-42, directory-verified via 소비자24, valid 2023.04.08-2027.04.07); no JCI accreditation is claimed. Its government registry entry lists 505 licensed beds as of the current accreditation cycle — a more current, directory-tied figure than the 569-bed count still repeated in older, undated general encyclopedia entries (Naver's 기관단체사전/한국민족문화대백과), which is treated here as stale rather than corrected into an average. It functions as Korea's designated central hub for several national public-health missions — the Central Emergency Medical Center, Central Dementia Center, Central Maternal-Child Health Center, and a national organ-transplant management center — and opened a Seoul Regional Trauma Center in 2023. The hospital is currently slated for relocation: a 2021 MOU committed it to a new campus at a former US Army Corps of Engineers site in nearby Bangsan-dong, with land payment completed in 2023 and design contracts underway for a rebuilt main hospital plus a dedicated Central Infectious Disease Hospital (중앙감염병병원); this profile describes the hospital at its current, still-operating Eulji-ro address.
Verified against: National Medical Center — official site, homepage (mission banner, relocation rendering, contact numbers) · National Medical Center — official site, 연혁 (History/Chronicle), current decade · National Medical Center — official site, 연혁 (History/Chronicle), 2000-1951 range (founding, Scandinavian/UNKRA agreement, 1958 opening, 1968 government takeover) · National Medical Center — official site, 미션/비전/핵심가치 (Mission/Vision/Core Values) · National Medical Center — official site, 원장 인사말 (Director's greeting, incl. '1958년 설립' and near-70-year framing) · National Medical Center — official site, 오시는길 (Directions/address) · National Medical Center — official site, 진료과 전체보기 (full department directory) · 소비자24 (Korea Consumer Agency) — 의료기관인증 registry entry, 국립중앙의료원 (crtfcSn=CRTF_000000002579632): cert 4-42, acute-care, valid 2023.04.08-2027.04.07, 505 licensed beds, address match · 네이버 기관단체사전 (한국민족문화대백과, via 굿모닝미디어) — 국립중앙의료원 entry: site/floor area, undated 569-bed figure (corroboration only, flagged as older/stale relative to the 2023 KOIHA registry's 505) · 한국어 위키백과 — 국립중앙의료원 (corroboration only for founding date and bed count, citing the same Naver encyclopedia entry) · kr_seoul_setup.sql — pipeline DB seed row confirming clinic_slug/name/website mapping and distinguishing this institution from the separate 'seoul-medical-center' (서울의료원) row · OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocode — direct hit on '국립중앙의료원' amenity=hospital, postal code 04564 matching the hospital's own site · commons.wikimedia.org · google.com
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- Patient rating
- 4.0/5
- 122 Google reviews
- Trust Index
- 79/100
- Strong
- Data confidence
- 51%
- Partial · 31% verified
- Founded
- 1958
- 68 yrs
- Published prices
- 7
- from $21
- Specialties
- 4
- 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.
100% of the formula backed by data
- Trust Index 79 Our index 79/100 · 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 95 ✓ Verified 4.0★ Google · objective outcomes ≫ independent ranking ≫ patient reviews · 95th percentile
- Accreditation 71 ✓ Verified 2 independent · current JCI ≫ independent bodies (Magnet/CAP/DNV) ≫ historical/on-record
- Price transparency 70 Imported 7 published · separate pricing axis — informational, not scored in the quality grade
- Scale 75 ✓ Verified 505 beds · vs 84 sourced hospitals in the registry · 50th 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 — unverifiedThe 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.
Teeth Cleaning ₩51,000–₩51,000 · from $34 Directory data unverified
- Surgeon & operating room$7
- Anesthesia$1
- Hospital stay (5 nights)$15
- Implants & materials$9
- Post-op & follow-up$2
Hospital stay ≈ $169/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 Fillings ₩91,300–₩141,940 · from $61 Directory data unverified
- Surgeon & operating room$12
- Anesthesia$2
- Hospital stay (5 nights)$28
- Implants & materials$15
- Post-op & follow-up$4
Hospital stay ≈ $169/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
Ultrasonography Diagnostic Imaging ₩196,920–₩292,420 · from $132 Directory data unverified
- Surgeon & operating room$33
- Anesthesia$8
- Hospital stay (5 nights)$59
- Implants & materials$20
- Post-op & follow-up$12
Hospital stay ≈ $169/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
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) ₩619,000–₩619,000 · from $415 Directory data unverified
- Surgeon & operating room$102
- Anesthesia$25
- Hospital stay (5 nights)$187
- Implants & materials$63
- Post-op & follow-up$38
Hospital stay ≈ $169/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
Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) ₩31,000–₩72,100 · from $21 Directory data unverified
- Surgeon & operating room$4
- Anesthesia$2
- Hospital stay (5 nights)$9
- Implants & materials$5
- Post-op & follow-up$1
Hospital stay ≈ $169/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
Show all 4 fields Show less
Erectile Dysfunction Treatment ₩70,000–₩150,000 · from $47 Directory data unverified
- Surgeon & operating room$12
- Anesthesia$4
- Hospital stay (5 nights)$21
- Implants & materials$6
- Post-op & follow-up$4
Hospital stay ≈ $169/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
Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) ₩619,000–₩1,230,000 · from $415 Directory data unverified
- Surgeon & operating room$108
- Anesthesia$33
- Hospital stay (5 nights)$187
- Implants & materials$54
- Post-op & follow-up$33
Hospital stay ≈ $169/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 2026-07-14Address, neighbourhood, and how long transit and airports take.
245 Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 04564, South Korea (서울특별시 중구 을지로 245, 을지로 6가) — exact match confirmed on both the hospital's own 오시는길 (Directions) page and its 소비자24/KOIHA registry entry
Jung-gu · Seoul, South Korea
Getting here
- Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station (DDP) 0.2 km · ~3 min (≈, OSM)
- Dongdaemun 0.5 km · ~5 min (≈, OSM)
Accreditations
Independently verifiableOnly independent, checkable accreditations and rankings — published by the accrediting bodies themselves. Self-reported trade awards are deliberately omitted.
Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation (KOIHA), delegated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare
Directory-verified via 소비자24 (consumer.go.kr) official registry lookup (crtfcSn=CRTF_000000002579632): 인증상태=인증, 인증일자=2023.04.08~2027.04.07 (currently valid), 교부번호=4-42, 허가병상수(licensed beds)=505, 병원소재지=서울특별시 중구 을지로 245 (exact address match). The registry's licensed-department list (개설허가서 기준) shows 27 categories including 내과, 소아청소년과, 신경과, 정신의학과, 피부과, 외과, 흉부외과, 정형외과, 신경외과, 성형외과, 산부인과, 비뇨기과/비뇨의학과, 이비인후과, 재활의학, 가정의학, 치과, 응급의학과, 마취통증의학과, 방사선종양학과, 영상의학과, 진단검사의학과, 병리과, 결핵과, 핵의학과, 직업환경의학과 — an older-vintage opening-permit filing that predates the hospital's current, more granular department directory (see specialties) and notably omits its Korean-medicine (한방) departments, which the hospital's own site and 1991 history entry confirm exist separately.
Joint Commission International
NOT claimed anywhere on the hospital's own site (searched its 병원소개/연혁/미션비전/조직도/진료과 pages — no mention found). As a domestic public general hospital rather than an internationally-marketed private hospital, JCI accreditation was not pursued in this pass; not badged, and the JCI directory (WAF-blocked to WebFetch/curl in prior waves) was not queried since no claim exists to verify.
Independent signals
SourcedGovernment 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: 2등급 as of 2026 Source →
- HIRA HIRA 적정성평가 — 관상동맥우회술 (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft) surgical quality: 2등급 as of 2026 Source →
- HIRA HIRA 적정성평가 — 위암 수술 (Gastric Cancer surgery) quality: 2등급 as of 2026 Source →
- HIRA HIRA 적정성평가 — 난임시술 의료기관 (Infertility/IVF treatment) indicator: 인공수정지표 1등급, 체외수정지표 1등급 as of 2026 Source →
- HIRA HIRA 적정성평가 — 환자경험평가 (Inpatient Experience Survey) domain scores: 간호사영역:85.12; 의사영역:82.12; 투약 및 치료과정:84.64; 병원환경:78.61; 환자권리보장:79.97; 전반적 평가:85.34 as of 2026 Source →
Conditions treated here
This hospitalNational Medical Center treats 56 conditions across 3 fields. What it covers — tap a field for this hospital's own prices.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) · Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) · Basal cell carcinoma · Bladder Cancer · Brain tumor · Breast cancer · Cervical cancer · Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) · Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) · Colon cancer · Cutaneous lymphoma · Endometrial cancer · Esophageal cancer · Gastric cancer · Head and Neck Cancer · Hepatocellular carcinoma · Hodgkin Lymphoma · Kidney Cancer (Renal Cell Carcinoma) · Leukemia · Lung cancer · Lymphoma · Melanoma · Multiple myeloma · Oral cancer · Ovarian cancer · Pancreatic cancer · Prostate cancer · Rectal Cancer · Soft Tissue Sarcoma · Squamous cell carcinoma · Testicular cancer · Thyroid Cancer
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 hospital4 specialties across 4 fields. Tap a field for this hospital's prices.
Dentist
Oncologist
Orthopedic Surgeon
Show all 4 fields Show less
General Practitioner
Doctor types, never named individuals.
Compare hospitals in South Korea
Our indexSide 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, National Medical Center carries a AA grade, ranks #4 of 4 on our merit score (76).
| Metric | This hospital National Medical Center 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 | AA · 76 | AAA · 93 ★ | AA · 91 | AA · 87 |
| Newsweek rankWorld's Best Hospitals | — | #1 in country ★ | #2 in country | #3 in country |
| Patient ratingGoogle, sourced | 4.0★ ★ | 3.9★ | 4.0★ ★ | 3.8★ |
| Accreditationindependent bodies | 2 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 National Medical Center
Straight answers from the data on this page — cost, accreditation, rating, and location.
How much does treatment at National Medical Center cost?
National Medical Center publishes prices for 7 procedures, starting from about $21. The exact cost depends on the procedure and your case — priced fields include dental, cancer treatment (oncology), orthopedics. Every price on this page links to its source and shows whether it is verified.
Is National Medical Center accredited?
Yes — National Medical Center holds KOIHA 의료기관인증 (의료기관평가인증원), 급성기 (acute-care) type, 4th cycle, 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 National Medical Center rated?
National Medical Center has a 4.0-star Google rating from 122 reviews, and scores 81/100 (grade AA) on our independent Trust Index. The Trust Index is one public formula applied to every hospital — the
What is National Medical Center known for?
National Medical Center (국립중앙의료원, NMC) is South Korea's national public general hospital, at Eulji-ro 245, Jung-gu, central Seoul — distinct from Seoul Medical Center (서울의료원), a separate city-run institution. It traces to 1951-1958 Korean War-era medical aid from Sweden, Denmark and Norway together with the UN Korean Reconstruction Agency (UNKRA), opened for treatment on 1958.11.28 with 320 beds as '국립의료원', passed to full Korean government operation in 1968, and was converted into its current special-corporation ('특수법인') legal status in 2010 under a dedicated 2009 enabling act. Its mission statement is 'For the People's Healthier Tomorrow' (국민의 건강한 내일을 지키는 국가중심병원). It holds a current KOIHA acute-care hospital accreditation (4th cycle, cert 4-42, directory-verified via 소비자24, valid 2023.04.08-2027.04.07); no JCI accreditation is claimed. Its government registry entry lists 505 licensed beds as of the current accreditation cycle — a more current, directory-tied figure than the 569-bed count still repeated in older, undated general encyclopedia entries (Naver's 기관단체사전/한국민족문화대백과), which is treated here as stale rather than corrected into an average. It functions as Korea's designated central hub for several national public-health missions — the Central Emergency Medical Center, Central Dementia Center, Central Maternal-Child Health Center, and a national organ-transplant management center — and opened a Seoul Regional Trauma Center in 2023. The hospital is currently slated for relocation: a 2021 MOU committed it to a new campus at a former US Army Corps of Engineers site in nearby Bangsan-dong, with land payment completed in 2023 and design contracts underway for a rebuilt main hospital plus a dedicated Central Infectious Disease Hospital (중앙감염병병원); this profile describes the hospital at its current, still-operating Eulji-ro address.
Where is National Medical Center?
National Medical Center is located at 245 Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 04564, South Korea (서울특별시 중구 을지로 245, 을지로 6가) — exact match confirmed on both the hospital's own 오시는길 (Directions) page and its 소비자24/KOIHA registry entry, Jung-gu, 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 Show all dataHow much of this profile is verified data — every section above carries a chip telling you where its numbers come from.
All 16 data fields — what's verified, imported or modeled Show more Hide
- 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 →