How do I find a doctor in Korea who speaks English?
Start with the international clinics of large hospitals, which have English-speaking coordinators, and with clinics in areas where many foreigners live or that treat many medical tourists. If the clinic you need has no one who speaks English, you can still be seen there: bring a friend, call an interpretation line, or put a live medical interpreter such as Verata on the table between you and the doctor.
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Where English-speaking staff are most likely
- International healthcare centers at university and general hospitals. They arrange the appointment and a coordinator comes into the consultation with you.
- Clinics in neighbourhoods with many foreign residents, and clinics that see many medical tourists, such as dermatology, plastic surgery and dental clinics in Seoul.
- Your embassy. Some embassies keep a list of local doctors who speak their language.
- Reviews on Naver Map, Kakao Map or Google Maps, where other foreigners mention whether staff spoke English.
Ask who exactly speaks English
A clinic that "speaks English" can mean one receptionist on weekdays, or a doctor who studied abroad years ago. When you book, ask who speaks English and whether that person will be in the room with you.
When the clinic you need has no one
Outside the big hospitals this is the usual case, and it does not mean you have to go somewhere else. The doctor is the same; only the shared language is missing. You can fill that gap yourself:
- Bring a friend or colleague who speaks Korean.
- 1330, the Korea Travel Hotline of the Korea Tourism Organization: travel information and interpretation help for foreign visitors, in several languages including English, Russian and Vietnamese. It is a travel line, not a medical service, and its hours differ by language.
- 1577-1366, the Danuri Helpline: set up for marriage migrants and multicultural families. It offers phone interpretation, including for hospital visits, in about 15 languages, among them English, Russian and Vietnamese.
- A translation app for reception and simple questions.
- A live medical interpreter on your phone for the consultation itself.
What Verata does in that room
Verata is a medical interpreter in your phone. Put it between you and the doctor and both of you speak your own language: it translates out loud and shows every sentence on the screen, uses a glossary for the doctor's specialty, and shows the doctor in Korean how your words were understood, so a mistake can be caught in the room. After the visit you get a summary in your language and in Korean. It opens in the browser, with nothing to install.
Short answers
Are there clinics with English-speaking doctors in Korea?
Yes, mostly in the international clinics of large hospitals and in parts of Seoul with many foreigners. Elsewhere it is rare and often depends on one person.
What if the clinic near me has no English speaker?
You can still be seen there. Bring a friend, use a phone interpretation line, or a live interpreter on your phone such as Verata.
Can the clinic arrange an interpreter for me?
A large hospital with an international clinic can. A small clinic usually cannot, so plan it yourself before the visit.
Which languages does Verata cover?
Korean with English, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai.
Verata is machine interpreting: not a certified interpreter and not medical advice. Repeat every dose, date and amount back to the doctor. During the beta the text of each conversation is kept for 30 days and then deleted. How long data is kept