# Foreign patient medical dispute trend and help desks

> The foreign patient trend tool combines the yearbook’s foreign patient chapter with the official help desks of the mediation agency, KHIDI and the Korea Tourism Organization.

Desk numbers come from each body’s official page, with the date they were checked. Hours or languages that the official page does not state are left out.

Written by the Korea Patient Rights Guide editorial team on October 22, 2026. Canonical address: https://kpatientrights.org/tools/foreign-trend.

## How does the tool show foreign patient medical dispute figures?

It lists foreign applications by year and divides them by all applications in the same year to give a share.

## Which official desks help foreign patients with a medical dispute?

The mediation agency’s counselling line and English counsellor, the Medical Korea Information Center and the 1330 travel hotline.

The Medical Korea Information Center lists consultation on medical complaints and disputes and help with transfer to the mediation agency among its services. The 1330 line is a general travel line, and its official page does not state which languages are covered at which hours.

## What do typical foreign patient queries return?

Three fixed cases with made-up test data are checked on every build.

**Fixed test cases checked on every build**

| Selection | What the tool shows |
| --- | --- |
| 2019–2023 | Five years with shares; years without a published figure are blank |
| Same range given in reverse | The same table |
| Russian | Desks that list Russian, plus any desk whose languages are not stated |

Reference information only. Korea Patient Rights Guide is not a law firm and does not assess individual cases. Whether a case can be mediated, which deadline applies and what it may cost should be confirmed with the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency or a qualified lawyer.

## What basis are these numbers on?

| Data | Reference date | Site calculation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| KMDRA yearbook: foreign patients | To be filled after the reference date is confirmed | Share = foreign applications ÷ all applications in the same year |
| Official help desks for foreign patients | October 22, 2026 | - |

## What else do people ask about foreign patient medical dispute help?

### Who can a foreign patient call about a medical dispute in Korea?

The mediation agency (English counsellor +82-2-6210-0080) and the Medical Korea Information Center (+82-2-1577-7129) both list help for foreign patients on their official pages.

### Can I apply from outside Korea?

Yes. The agency’s English guidance says people living abroad apply by e-mail or fax.

### Is my selection stored?

No. Everything runs in your browser.

### Why are some years blank?

The yearbook did not publish foreign applications that year.

### Does Korea Patient Rights Guide answer calls?

No. It has no phone line and does not handle cases.

## What should you read next?

- [How does medical dispute mediation work in Korea?](https://kpatientrights.org/articles/mediation-procedure)
- [What should a foreign patient keep before leaving Korea?](https://kpatientrights.org/articles/records-before-leaving)
- [Foreign patient medical dispute mediation in Korea](https://kpatientrights.org/statistics/foreign-patients)
- [Medical dispute mediation timeline and fee calculator](https://kpatientrights.org/tools/dispute-timeline)

## Where do these numbers come from?

- [Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Statistical Yearbook (periodicals list)](https://www.k-medi.or.kr/web/lay1/bbs/S1T27C96/A/25/list.do) - Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency
- [Guidance for mediation application (English)](https://www.k-medi.or.kr/eng/lay1/S239T385C453/contents.do) - Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency
- [Medical Korea Information Center (help for foreign patients)](https://www.medicalkorea.or.kr/en/convenient) - Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI)
- [1330 Korea Travel Hotline](https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/contents/contentsView.do?vcontsId=140632&menuSn=454) - Korea Tourism Organization