Home › International Patients – Gangnam, Seoul

English-Speaking ENT in Gangnam, Seoul for Tourists Visiting Seoul

🌍 Welcoming patients from around the world · Consultations in English with Dr. Kim Yoo Suk, MD, former professor at Yonsei & Ajou University

Getting sick on holiday in Seoul

Long flights, late nights, crowded attractions and a change of climate make ear, nose and throat problems one of the most common reasons tourists need a doctor. The good news is that Korea makes specialist care easy to reach. You do not need a referral, a local address or Korean insurance to visit an outpatient clinic. Our English-speaking ENT clinic in Gangnam sees visitors on a walk-in basis.

What to do, step by step

1. Check whether it is an emergency. Difficulty breathing, heavy bleeding that will not stop, severe facial swelling or confusion need emergency care: call 119.
2. Check your travel insurance. Some policies ask you to call their assistance line before seeing a doctor.
3. Call or walk in. WhatsApp +82-10-5344-4464, or come during opening hours. Remember Wednesday opens at 14:00 and the clinic is closed Sundays and public holidays.
4. Bring your passport for registration.
5. See the doctor. Explain your symptoms and your travel plans, including your flight home.
6. Pay by card and ask for an itemized receipt and English medical certificate.
7. Collect medicine at a pharmacy nearby using your prescription.

Who you will see

Visitors are seen by Dr. Kim Yoo Suk, a board-certified otolaryngologist who previously taught at Yonsei University and Ajou University School of Medicine. He subspecializes in nose and sinus disease and treats every kind of ear, nose and throat problem. He explains your diagnosis in English and focuses on getting you well enough to enjoy the rest of your trip and fly home safely. If a problem needs follow-up after you return home, he can provide records and a written summary so your own doctor can continue care without repeating tests.

Common tourist ENT problems

• Sore throat after long days of walking and talking in cold or dry air
• Airplane ear: a blocked or painful ear after landing at Incheon
• Acute sinusitis following a cold caught in transit
• Swimmer's ear after hotel pools, water parks or beaches in summer
• Allergy flare-ups during spring pollen and fine-dust days
• Nosebleeds in the dry winter months

Before your flight home

If you have a cold, sinus infection or ear problem, ask the doctor whether it is safe to fly and what you can do to reduce ear pain during descent. Our guide to flying with ear and sinus problems covers practical tips such as timing decongestants and swallowing during descent.

Insurance documents

Travel insurers usually need an itemized receipt, a medical certificate with the diagnosis, and pharmacy receipts. Keep everything together, and take photos as a backup. The clinic does not bill travel insurers directly. See our insurance claim documents guide.

Finding the clinic

We are on the 2nd floor of HS Tower, the building with an Olive Young store, right in front of Gangnam-gu Office Station Exit 3-1 on Line 7 and the Suin-Bundang Line. Many tourists staying in Gangnam, Sinsa or near COEX can reach us by subway or a short taxi ride. Bus routes 301, 342, 472, 3011 and 4412 stop one minute away. See our location page and the International Patients hub for more.

Frequently asked questions

Can a tourist see a doctor in Seoul without Korean insurance?

Yes. Tourists can visit outpatient clinics in Korea with a passport, no Korean insurance required. You pay the full fee at the desk, then claim from your travel insurer with the itemized receipt and English medical certificate the clinic provides.

Is it safe to fly home with an ear infection or blocked ear?

It depends on the cause and severity. Flying with a blocked Eustachian tube or middle ear infection can be very painful and occasionally damage the eardrum. See an ENT before your flight so the ear can be examined and you can get advice on medication and timing.

What should I do if the clinic is closed?

The clinic is closed on Sundays and public holidays. For urgent problems outside opening hours, go to a hospital emergency department; for life-threatening emergencies, call 119. For non-urgent issues, come back during the next opening hours or message us on WhatsApp at +82-10-5344-4464.

General information for international patients, reviewed by an ENT specialist. Insurance coverage and claim rules depend on your own insurer — please check with them. In an emergency in Korea, call 119.