Korean Medical Administrative Terms: An A-Z Bilingual Glossary

Korean medical administration runs on a paperwork vocabulary that is, in my reading, half-translated and half-untranslated for the visiting patient. The receipt is 영수증; the certificate is 진단서; the registration is 의료기관 등록. What follows is an editorial glossary, fifty entries, A through W — 睇真啲先簽名, as a Hong Kong friend put it at lunch in Causeway Bay — covering the documents, the registrations, and the fee-schedule terms one will meet between the consultation desk and the discharge letter. The Korean original sits beside the English; the transliteration sits beside both. The intent is recognition, not fluency.

A

The A-letter entries cover the admission and appointment paperwork — the documents one signs at the front desk before the consultation room opens.

Admission Form (입원 신청서, ip-won sin-cheong-seo)

The 입원 신청서 — ip-won sin-cheong-seo, literally an admission application — is the bilingual intake form one signs on entering a hospital ward for a procedure requiring an overnight or longer stay. The form records the patient's identification, the responsible guardian, the consenting next-of-kin contact, and the room category (single, double, or multi-bed). Most stem-cell and aesthetic procedures in Gangnam are day-surgery and skip the form entirely; one encounters it only at the larger university-affiliated hospitals or when an unexpected admission is recommended. Read the room-category line carefully — the upgrade is rarely refunded. See also: Hospitalisation Certificate, Guardian Consent.

Appointment Slip (예약증, ye-yak-jeung)

The 예약증 — ye-yak-jeung, an appointment confirmation — is the printed or PDF slip the clinic issues after a consultation booking, carrying the date, the time, the responsible physician, and the consultation room number. The slip doubles as a receipt for any deposit paid against the appointment, and is the document one shows to the front desk on arrival. The better Seoul clinics email the slip in English-Korean parallel within twenty-four hours of booking; the rooms that send only a Korean SMS are operating on a domestic cadence. See also: Booking Deposit, Consultation Form.

Aftercare Plan (사후관리 계획서, sa-hu-gwan-ri gye-hoek-seo)

The 사후관리 계획서 — sa-hu-gwan-ri gye-hoek-seo, an aftercare-management plan — is the bilingual protocol document outlining the post-procedural review intervals, the medication schedule, the activity restrictions, and the contact information for the assigned coordinator. The document is, in editorial reading, the operational counterpart to the treatment plan — one issued before the procedure, the other after. The Seoul clinics that present the aftercare plan in writing on discharge day are operating on the cadence one wants; the rooms that issue it retrospectively or by SMS are not. See also: Treatment Plan, Coordinator.

Anaesthesia Record (마취 기록지, ma-chwi gi-rok-ji)

The 마취 기록지 — ma-chwi gi-rok-ji, an anaesthesia record — is the clinical document recording the agent, the dose, the induction time, the maintenance profile, and the patient's vital-sign response during a procedure under sedation or general anaesthesia. The record is an internal regulatory document but a copy is appended to the surgical confirmation on request, and is occasionally requested by foreign insurers for high-value procedures. The document is largely Korean-only; an English summary may be requested via the coordinator. See also: Surgical Confirmation, Local Anaesthesia Consent.

B

The B-letter entries cluster around billing — the breakdown sheets, the basic fee schedules, the bilingual estimates that frame the financial conversation.

Billing Breakdown (진료비 세부내역서, jin-ryo-bi se-bu-nae-yeok-seo)

The 진료비 세부내역서 — jin-ryo-bi se-bu-nae-yeok-seo, an itemised treatment-cost statement — is the line-by-line invoice that separates the consultation fee, the procedural fee, the consumables, the prescription, and the value-added tax. Korean clinics are required by the Medical Service Act to issue the breakdown on request, and most issue it automatically at discharge. For foreign patients the document is also the basis for any home-country insurance reimbursement; ask for the bilingual version, with English line items, before leaving the cashier. See also: Receipt, Tax Invoice.

Bilingual Estimate (다국어 견적서, da-guk-eo gyeon-jeok-seo)

The 다국어 견적서 — da-guk-eo gyeon-jeok-seo, a multilingual price estimate — is the pre-treatment quotation issued by a clinic registered to receive foreign patients, presented in Korean alongside English, Mandarin, or Japanese. The estimate carries the procedural code, the unit price in KRW, and a validity window — usually thirty days. The presence of a bilingual estimate is a signal of operational readiness; its absence is, in editorial reading, a signal that one is the first foreign patient of the season. See also: Foreign Patient Registration, Fee Schedule.

C

The C-letter entries cover the certificates and consent paperwork — the bound documents that travel with the patient between Korea and the home country.

Consent Form (수술 동의서, su-sul dong-ui-seo)

The 수술 동의서 — su-sul dong-ui-seo, an operative-consent document — is the procedural consent paperwork mandated by the Medical Service Act, covering the indication, the procedural risks, the alternatives, the contraindications, and the post-procedural responsibilities. The form is, by Korean clinical convention, signed in the consultation rather than in the operating room; the rooms that present consent paperwork on procedure day are, in my reading, in the wrong cadence. The bilingual version is reviewed by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) for clinics holding the foreign-patient registration. See also: Surgical Confirmation, Consent Pack.

Consultation Form (문진표, mun-jin-pyo)

The 문진표 — mun-jin-pyo, a medical-history questionnaire — is the front-desk form one completes before the first consultation, recording allergies, current medications, prior procedures, and chronic conditions. The form is bilingual at most foreign-patient-registered clinics in Gangnam; the Cheongdam rooms sometimes hand it on a tablet rather than paper, which simplifies translation. The information transcribes directly into the EMR — the electronic medical record — so accuracy matters more than brevity. The completed form is the anchor of the consultation conversation. Read each line; the medication-list line is the one most often under-completed. See also: Medical History, EMR.

Cancellation Policy (취소 환불 규정, chwi-so hwan-bul gyu-jeong)

The 취소 환불 규정 — chwi-so hwan-bul gyu-jeong, a cancellation-and-refund policy — is the clinic's published schedule for refunding deposits and prepayments at varying notice intervals. The schedule typically grants full refund up to seven days before the appointment, partial refund within the seven-to-forty-eight-hour window, and no refund inside forty-eight hours. The policy lives in the consent paperwork rather than the booking email, and is the small-print one reads before paying the deposit, not after needing the refund. See also: Booking Deposit, Refund Slip.

D

The D-letter entries cover the discharge and diagnostic paperwork — the documents one carries home after the procedure closes.

Discharge Summary (퇴원 요약지, toe-won yo-yak-ji)

The 퇴원 요약지 — toe-won yo-yak-ji, a discharge summary — is the consolidated clinical document issued at the end of an inpatient stay, listing the admission diagnosis, the procedures performed, the medications administered, the discharge medications, and the follow-up plan. For a day-surgery aesthetic or stem-cell procedure the equivalent document is the 진료 확인서, the medical confirmation. Both are accepted by foreign insurers and by domestic immigration officers if the visa-extension paperwork requires it. See also: Medical Confirmation, Follow-Up Plan.

Diagnostic Certificate (진단서, jin-dan-seo)

The 진단서 — jin-dan-seo, a diagnostic certificate — is the formal medical document issued by a licensed Korean physician, certifying a diagnosis with the relevant ICD-10 code and a clinical narrative. The certificate is the document home-country insurers most often request, and the document required for any visa-extension application on medical grounds. The fee for issuance is regulated and modest — typically twenty thousand to fifty thousand won — but the document carries the physician's licence number and is a legally binding clinical statement. Read the diagnosis line before paying. See also: Medical Opinion, Hospitalisation Certificate.

E

The E-letter entries cover the electronic record systems and the emergency paperwork — the digital architecture and the unscheduled-visit documentation.

EMR (전자의무기록, jeon-ja-ui-mu-gi-rok)

The 전자의무기록 — jeon-ja-ui-mu-gi-rok, the electronic medical record — is the clinical-data system in which Korean hospitals and clinics store consultations, procedures, prescriptions, and imaging. Most Gangnam aesthetic and regenerative clinics run a domestic EMR product (commonly Eumchart, Medilen, or a proprietary build), and the system is queryable on request for a patient's own records under the Personal Information Protection Act. The records are typically Korean-only; an English summary, the 진료 확인서, must be requested separately. See also: Personal Information Consent, Medical Confirmation.

Emergency Treatment Record (응급 진료 기록, eung-geup jin-ryo gi-rok)

The 응급 진료 기록 — eung-geup jin-ryo gi-rok, an emergency-treatment record — is the documentation issued after an unscheduled visit to an emergency department or to the clinic's after-hours line for a post-procedural complication. The record is a regulated subset of the EMR and is admissible for travel-insurance reimbursement and for follow-on consultations on return home. Foreign patients should request the bilingual version at the moment of discharge — retrospective issuance is permitted, but the better cadence is on the day. See also: After-Hours Contact, Discharge Summary.

F

The F-letter entries cover the fee schedules and the foreign-patient paperwork — the regulated price-list architecture and the documents specific to the visiting patient.

Fee Schedule (수가표, su-ga-pyo)

The 수가표 — su-ga-pyo, a fee schedule — is the published price list a Korean clinic is required to display, by procedure code, under the Medical Service Act. For procedures covered by the National Health Insurance the prices are nationally regulated; for non-covered procedures, including most aesthetic and regenerative-medicine work, the prices are clinic-set and only required to be transparent. The schedule is usually posted at the cashier and on the clinic's Korean-language website; the English version, when offered, is a courtesy rather than a requirement. See also: Non-Covered Treatment, Itemised Receipt.

Foreign Patient Registration (외국인환자 유치 등록, oe-guk-in-hwan-ja yu-chi deung-rok)

The 외국인환자 유치 등록 — oe-guk-in-hwan-ja yu-chi deung-rok, a foreign-patient attraction registration — is the official credential issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and administered through KHIDI, authorising a Korean clinic or hospital to receive and treat foreign patients. The registration carries an A-number (e.g., A-2026-04-02-06873) and is renewable annually. The registration is, in editorial reading, the single most important credential one verifies before booking — the Korea Medical website lists the registered facilities. See also: KHIDI, MOHW Registration.

G

The G-letter entries cover the guardian and government-related paperwork — the consent documents involving a third party and the regulatory filings.

Guardian Consent (보호자 동의서, bo-ho-ja dong-ui-seo)

The 보호자 동의서 — bo-ho-ja dong-ui-seo, a guardian-consent form — is the supplementary consent document required when the patient is a minor, when general anaesthesia is planned, or when the procedure carries a defined sedation risk. The signing guardian must be in physical attendance at the consultation, with photo identification; remote consent is, by Korean clinical convention, not accepted for the operating room. For solo foreign patients undergoing general anaesthesia the clinic will typically request a written waiver and a designated point of contact. See also: Consent Form, Anaesthesia Consent.

Government Health Centre (보건소, bo-geon-so)

The 보건소 — bo-geon-so, a government health centre — is the district-level public-health office responsible, among other things, for the registration of medical practitioners, the inspection of clinics, and the receipt of patient complaints. For the foreign patient the centre is a reference point rather than a destination — one rarely visits a 보건소 during a treatment trip — but the centre's name appears on the regulatory paperwork and on the inspection certificates posted at the clinic entrance. See also: MOHW Registration, Inspection Certificate.

H

The H-letter entries cover the hospitalisation paperwork — the certificates and confirmations that document an admission rather than an outpatient visit.

Hospitalisation Certificate (입원 확인서, ip-won hwa-gin-seo)

The 입원 확인서 — ip-won hwa-gin-seo, a hospitalisation certificate — is the formal document confirming the admission and discharge dates, the ward, the responsible physician, and the procedure performed. The certificate is the document foreign insurers accept as proof of inpatient stay, and the document required for any visa-related extension request. Most Gangnam stem-cell and aesthetic procedures are day-surgery and produce only the 진료 확인서, the outpatient medical confirmation; an overnight stay produces both. See also: Discharge Summary, Medical Confirmation.

Health Information Disclosure Consent (의료정보 제공 동의서, ui-ryo-jeong-bo je-gong dong-ui-seo)

The 의료정보 제공 동의서 — ui-ryo-jeong-bo je-gong dong-ui-seo, a medical-information-disclosure consent — is the document one signs to authorise the clinic to share clinical records with a third party: an insurance carrier, a referring physician, a coordinating agent. The form is governed by the Personal Information Protection Act and the Medical Service Act in parallel, and identifies the recipient, the purpose, and the validity window. The form is rarely standing — one signs a fresh consent for each disclosure. See also: Personal Information Consent, EMR.

I

The I-letter entries cover the receipts and the registration credentials — the cashier-issued documents and the certificates posted at the clinic entrance.

Itemised Receipt (영수증, yeong-su-jeung)

The 영수증 — yeong-su-jeung, a receipt — is the cashier-issued document confirming payment for a consultation, a procedure, or a prescription. The Korean Medical Service Act requires itemisation: the consultation fee, the procedural fee, the consumables, and the value-added tax appear as separate lines. The receipt is the document foreign insurers and home-country tax authorities accept; ask for the bilingual version, with English line items, at the moment of payment. The retrospective re-issuance is permitted but rarely seamless. See also: Tax Invoice, Billing Breakdown.

Inspection Certificate (의료기관 인증서, ui-ryo-gi-gwan in-jeung-seo)

The 의료기관 인증서 — ui-ryo-gi-gwan in-jeung-seo, a healthcare-institution certification — is the credential issued by the Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation (KOIHA) following a periodic inspection of clinical safety, infection control, and patient-experience standards. The certificate is voluntary for outpatient clinics and mandatory for the larger hospitals over a defined bed-count threshold; its presence at the entrance is, in editorial reading, a signal of operational seriousness rather than a guarantee. The certificate carries a validity window — typically four years — and the inspection cycle is published. A clinic operating beyond its certificate's expiry without renewal is, by editorial convention, worth a second look. See also: KOIHA, MOHW Registration.

K

The K-letter entries cover the regulatory bodies and acronyms one will meet on the paperwork — the registrations, the issuing authorities, the credentialing institutes.

KHIDI (한국보건산업진흥원, han-guk-bo-geon-san-eop-jin-heung-won)

The 한국보건산업진흥원 — han-guk-bo-geon-san-eop-jin-heung-won, the Korea Health Industry Development Institute — is the public agency that administers the foreign-patient registration on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. KHIDI also runs the Korea Medical website, the medical-tourism statistics programme, and the bilingual-paperwork standardisation effort that produces the English-Korean parallel forms most foreign-patient-registered clinics now issue. For the visiting patient the institute appears on the registration certificate framed at the entrance; for the clinic, KHIDI is the regulatory counterpart for the annual filing and the categorical cross-referencing portal. The institute's website carries the searchable registry. See also: Foreign Patient Registration, MOHW.

KOIHA (의료기관평가인증원, ui-ryo-gi-gwan-pyeong-ga-in-jeung-won)

The 의료기관평가인증원 — ui-ryo-gi-gwan-pyeong-ga-in-jeung-won, the Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation — is the body that issues the inspection certificate posted at hospital entrances. The accreditation is voluntary for outpatient clinics and mandatory for general hospitals over a defined size threshold. The certificate is a categorical signal — accredited or not — rather than a tier ranking, and the inspection covers patient-safety systems, infection-control protocols, and staff-credentialing audits. For the foreign patient the certificate is not a substitute for the foreign-patient registration; the two credentials answer different regulatory questions and the registered patient verifies both. See also: Inspection Certificate, MOHW Registration.

L

The L-letter entries cover the licensing paperwork — the credentials posted in the consultation room and on the clinic's regulatory page.

Licence Number (의사 면허번호, ui-sa myeon-heo-beon-ho)

The 의사 면허번호 — ui-sa myeon-heo-beon-ho, a physician's licence number — is the unique five- or six-digit identifier issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on completion of medical training and the national licensing examination. The number is required to appear on every prescription, certificate, and operative-consent form, and is verifiable on the MOHW physician-search portal. For the foreign patient the number is the single fact one cross-references before booking — name, address, and licence number, in that order. See also: Medical Practitioner Licence, MOHW.

Local Anaesthesia Consent (국소마취 동의서, guk-so-ma-chwi dong-ui-seo)

The 국소마취 동의서 — guk-so-ma-chwi dong-ui-seo, a local-anaesthesia consent — is the supplementary consent form for procedures using local infiltration, topical anaesthesia, or a regional block — the standard anaesthesia register for stem-cell harvest and most aesthetic injection work in the Gangnam consultation rooms. The form covers the agent, the dose ceiling, the contraindications, and the rare but clinically recognised systemic-toxicity risks. General-anaesthesia procedures require a separate, more detailed consent and a guardian's signature. The signing patient should expect the form bilingual at any clinic registered to receive foreign patients. See also: Guardian Consent, Consent Form.

M

The M-letter entries cover the ministerial registrations and the medical-record paperwork — the regulatory filings and the patient-record outputs.

Medical Confirmation (진료 확인서, jin-ryo hwa-gin-seo)

The 진료 확인서 — jin-ryo hwa-gin-seo, a medical confirmation — is the outpatient equivalent of the hospitalisation certificate, confirming the consultation date, the procedure performed, and the responsible physician. The document is the most-requested administrative output for foreign patients undergoing day-surgery aesthetic or stem-cell procedures, and the form home-country insurers accept as evidence of the clinical encounter. The bilingual version is standard at foreign-patient-registered clinics; the issuance fee is regulated and modest. Request the document at discharge rather than retrospectively — the on-the-day version reads more cleanly than the retrospectively reconstructed one. See also: Hospitalisation Certificate, Discharge Summary.

MOHW Registration (의료기관 개설신고, ui-ryo-gi-gwan gae-seol-sin-go)

The 의료기관 개설신고 — ui-ryo-gi-gwan gae-seol-sin-go, a healthcare-institution opening notification — is the registration filed with the local district health office on opening a clinic, identifying the responsible licensed physician, the registered address, and the scope of practice. The number appears on the clinic's regulatory page and on every prescription. For the foreign patient the number is the institutional analogue of the physician's licence number — verifiable, cross-referenceable, and the second fact one checks. See also: Foreign Patient Registration, Licence Number.

Medical Opinion (소견서, so-gyeon-seo)

The 소견서 — so-gyeon-seo, a medical opinion or referral letter — is the narrative clinical document issued by a Korean physician, summarising the consultation findings, the recommended treatment, and the clinical reasoning. The document is shorter and less formal than the diagnostic certificate (진단서) but is accepted by most foreign insurers and by referring physicians as a reasoned clinical statement. The fee is regulated and modest. The opinion is, in editorial reading, the document one requests when the diagnostic certificate is too binding for the situation. See also: Diagnostic Certificate, Medical Confirmation.

Medical History (병력 기록지, byeong-ryeok gi-rok-ji)

The 병력 기록지 — byeong-ryeok gi-rok-ji, a medical-history record — is the structured document capturing prior procedures, chronic conditions, allergies, current medications, and significant family history. The document differs from the consultation form (문진표) by providing a longitudinal rather than a presenting-complaint frame, and is transcribed into the EMR at first registration. For the foreign patient the document is best prepared before arrival in English with parallel Korean medication names — the bilingual format speeds the consultation and reduces the dose-translation risk. See also: Consultation Form, EMR.

N

The N-letter entries cover the National Health Insurance terms and the non-covered-treatment paperwork — the categorical regulatory frame for what is and is not reimbursed.

National Health Insurance (국민건강보험, guk-min-geon-gang-bo-heom)

The 국민건강보험 — guk-min-geon-gang-bo-heom, the National Health Insurance — is the universal-coverage public scheme administered by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS, 건강보험공단). For the visiting foreign patient on a short-term visa the scheme is largely not in play — most aesthetic and regenerative procedures sit in the non-covered category in any case, and the short-stay visitor is not enrolled. Foreign nationals on resident-status visas exceeding six months may enrol on a contributory basis; the enrolment paperwork is filed at the local NHIS branch and the contribution is income-assessed. The card carries a separate identifier from the resident registration number. See also: Non-Covered Treatment, Resident Registration Number.

Non-Covered Treatment (비급여, bi-geup-yeo)

비급여 — bi-geup-yeo, literally non-payment, denoting non-covered or out-of-pocket treatment — is the regulatory category for procedures not reimbursed by the National Health Insurance. The category covers the bulk of aesthetic, regenerative, and elective work — stem-cell injection, ultrasound-tightening, premium dermal filler, focused-ultrasound lifting — and is the column on the fee schedule one consults first as a foreign patient. Prices in the 비급여 column are clinic-set within Korean transparency requirements, and the schedule must be displayed at the cashier and on the regulatory page of the clinic's Korean-language website. The English version is a courtesy. See also: Fee Schedule, Itemised Receipt.

O

The O-letter entries cover the operating-room and outpatient paperwork — the registers and documents specific to the procedural environment.

Operating Room Register (수술실 기록부, su-sul-sil gi-rok-bu)

The 수술실 기록부 — su-sul-sil gi-rok-bu, an operating-room register — is the chronological log maintained by the operating-room nursing staff, recording the time of patient entry, the start and end of the procedure, the personnel present, the consumables used, and the time of patient exit. The register is an internal regulatory document rather than a patient-facing one, but a copy of the relevant entry is appended to the discharge summary on request. The document is occasionally requested by foreign insurers for high-value procedures. See also: Discharge Summary, Anaesthesia Record.

Outpatient Card (외래 진료카드, oe-rae jin-ryo-ka-deu)

The 외래 진료카드 — oe-rae jin-ryo-ka-deu, an outpatient consultation card — is the patient-identification card issued at the first visit, carrying a clinic-internal patient number, the date of registration, and the responsible department. The card is, at most modern Gangnam clinics, replaced by a digital QR code or a tablet check-in; the physical card persists at the older Cheongdam consultation rooms and at the larger university-affiliated hospitals. Carry whichever the clinic issued at the first visit — it accelerates the front-desk lookup on return visits and reduces the EMR mismatch risk. The number is private to the clinic and does not transfer. See also: Appointment Slip, Unique Patient Identifier.

P

The P-letter entries cover the personal-information paperwork and the prescription documents — the consents that govern data and the printed orders that govern the pharmacy.

Personal Information Consent (개인정보 동의서, gae-in-jeong-bo dong-ui-seo)

The 개인정보 동의서 — gae-in-jeong-bo dong-ui-seo, a personal-information consent — is the document one signs at the first visit, authorising the collection, processing, and storage of identifying data under the Personal Information Protection Act. The form distinguishes mandatory consents (clinical care) from optional consents (marketing, photography, third-party sharing); the optional consents are revocable at any time. Read the third-party-sharing line carefully — it is the consent that governs whether one's case appears in a clinic's marketing rotation. See also: Health Information Disclosure Consent, EMR.

Prescription (처방전, cheo-bang-jeon)

The 처방전 — cheo-bang-jeon, a prescription — is the printed order issued at the end of the consultation, listing the drug, the dosage, the duration, and the responsible physician's licence number. Korean prescriptions are dispensed at independent pharmacies (약국, yak-guk) rather than at the clinic, with the rare exception of the on-site dispensary at certain hospitals. The prescription is valid for three days from issuance; ask the pharmacy for the bilingual instruction sheet on dispensing. See also: Pharmacy Receipt, Standardised Drug Information.

Pharmacy (약국, yak-guk)

The 약국 — yak-guk, a pharmacy — is the independent dispensing premises at which Korean prescriptions are filled, the dispensing-prescribing separation a standing principle of the Korean pharmaceutical system since the reform of two thousand. The clinic prescribes; the pharmacy dispenses. The Gangnam district carries a dense network of pharmacies clustered around the major medical addresses — Apgujeong, Cheongdam, Sinsa — and the foreign-patient-friendly ones are signposted with English-language indication. Carry the 처방전 within its three-day validity. The pharmacy issues a separate receipt and a standardised drug-information monograph. See also: Prescription, Pharmacy Receipt.

Pharmacy Receipt (약국 영수증, yak-guk yeong-su-jeung)

The 약국 영수증 — yak-guk yeong-su-jeung, a pharmacy receipt — is the itemised receipt the dispensing pharmacy issues, separating the medication cost from the dispensing fee and the value-added tax. The document is the medication-spend equivalent of the clinic's itemised receipt and is accepted by foreign insurers for outpatient-pharmacy reimbursement. Ask for the bilingual version where available; the larger Gangnam pharmacies print English on request, the neighbourhood ones print Korean only and require a translated note for foreign-insurance submission. See also: Prescription, Itemised Receipt.

Privacy Notice (개인정보 처리방침, gae-in-jeong-bo cheo-ri-bang-chim)

The 개인정보 처리방침 — gae-in-jeong-bo cheo-ri-bang-chim, a privacy notice — is the clinic-published document describing the categories of personal data processed, the legal basis under the Personal Information Protection Act, the retention period, the data-subject rights, and the contact for the designated privacy officer. The notice lives on the clinic's regulatory page rather than in the consultation-room paperwork, and is a separate document from the active personal-information consent one signs at the front desk. The two read together as the privacy architecture of the visit. See also: Personal Information Consent, Health Information Disclosure Consent.

Q

The Q-letter entry covers the questionnaire paperwork — the structured intake document that anchors the EMR.

Questionnaire of Symptoms (증상 문진표, jeung-sang mun-jin-pyo)

The 증상 문진표 — jeung-sang mun-jin-pyo, a symptom questionnaire — is the structured pre-consultation form covering the chief complaint, the duration, the triggering factors, the prior interventions attempted, and the patient-rated severity. The document differs from the general 문진표 by focusing on a single complaint, and is used in dermatology, regenerative-medicine, and orthopaedic consultations to anchor the consultation conversation around a defined clinical question. The bilingual version is standard at foreign-patient-registered clinics in Gangnam, and the form is, in editorial reading, the document one fills out twice — once before the consultation, once after the procedure for the comparison record. See also: Consultation Form, Medical History.

R

The R-letter entries cover the resident-registration paperwork and the receipt requests — the identification numbers and the documents requested at the cashier.

Resident Registration Number (주민등록번호, ju-min-deung-rok-beon-ho)

The 주민등록번호 — ju-min-deung-rok-beon-ho, the resident registration number — is the thirteen-digit national identifier issued to Korean citizens and to long-term-resident foreign nationals. For the short-term-stay foreign patient the number is not in play; the passport number and, where applicable, the foreign registration number serve as the equivalent identifiers in the EMR and on the regulatory paperwork. The cashier or the front-desk staff may ask for the RRN out of system habit — the EMR field is mandatory in many domestic builds — and one declines politely and offers the passport instead. The clinic's intake will recognise and accept the substitution. See also: Foreign Registration Number, Unique Patient Identifier.

Refund Slip (환불 확인서, hwan-bul hwa-gin-seo)

The 환불 확인서 — hwan-bul hwa-gin-seo, a refund confirmation — is the document issued when a deposit, a prepayment, or a procedural fee is partially or fully reversed. The slip carries the original receipt number, the refund amount, the reason code, and the cashier's signature. Korean clinics process refunds against the original payment instrument — the SWIFT wire returns to the originating account, the card payment to the original card. The settlement window is typically three to seven business days. See also: Booking Deposit, Cancellation Policy.

S

The S-letter entries cover the surgical paperwork and the standardised certificates — the documents that travel with the patient and the documents that stay with the clinic.

Surgical Confirmation (수술 확인서, su-sul hwa-gin-seo)

The 수술 확인서 — su-sul hwa-gin-seo, a surgical confirmation — is the formal document issued post-procedure, confirming the surgery date, the procedure performed in clinical terminology, the responsible operating physician's licence number, and the anaesthesia register applied. The document is required by foreign insurers for any surgical reimbursement, and is the document one carries home for the referring physician's records. The bilingual version is standard at foreign-patient-registered clinics in Gangnam, and the issuance is on request rather than automatic; ask at discharge. See also: Operating Room Register, Discharge Summary.

Standardised Drug Information (의약품 표준 안내, ui-yak-pum pyo-jun an-nae)

The 의약품 표준 안내 — ui-yak-pum pyo-jun an-nae, a standardised drug-information sheet — is the printed monograph the Korean pharmacy issues with each prescription, listing the active ingredient, the recommended dose, the contraindications, and the interaction profile. The document follows the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) format and is available in Korean by default; the foreign-patient-friendly pharmacies print the bilingual version on request. The sheet is the document one consults before the first dose. See also: Prescription, Pharmacy Receipt.

T

The T-letter entries cover the tax paperwork and the treatment plans — the cashier-issued tax documents and the bilingual treatment outlines.

Tax Invoice (세금계산서, se-geum-gye-san-seo)

The 세금계산서 — se-geum-gye-san-seo, a tax invoice — is the formal value-added-tax document issued by the clinic on request, separating the procedural fee from the ten-per-cent VAT and identifying the clinic's business registration number. The invoice differs from the consumer receipt (영수증) in carrying the recipient's name, the recipient's tax-identification number, and the legally binding tax-line breakdown. Foreign patients on corporate or insurance reimbursement schemes typically request the tax invoice rather than the consumer receipt. See also: Itemised Receipt, Billing Breakdown.

Treatment Plan (치료 계획서, chi-ryo gye-hoek-seo)

The 치료 계획서 — chi-ryo gye-hoek-seo, a treatment plan — is the bilingual document issued at the end of the consultation, summarising the recommended procedure, the expected timeline, the bundled cost, and the alternatives considered. The document is, in editorial reading, the single most useful artefact one carries from the consultation room — it is the document one sleeps on before signing the consent. The Seoul clinics that issue the plan in writing without prompting are the rooms operating on the cadence one wants. See also: Bilingual Estimate, Consent Form.

U-V

The U-V entries cover the universal-document acronyms and the visa-supporting paperwork — the cross-referenced identifiers and the immigration-facing certificates.

Unique Patient Identifier (환자 고유번호, hwan-ja go-yu-beon-ho)

The 환자 고유번호 — hwan-ja go-yu-beon-ho, a unique patient identifier — is the clinic-internal number assigned at first registration, used in lieu of the resident registration number for the EMR, the prescription, and the appointment system. The number is private to the clinic and is not interoperable across institutions; a referral to a second clinic requires a fresh registration. The number appears on the appointment slip and on every paper artefact issued to the patient. See also: EMR, Outpatient Card.

Visa-Supporting Letter (비자 발급 협조 서신, bi-ja bal-geup hyeop-jo seo-sin)

The 비자 발급 협조 서신 — bi-ja bal-geup hyeop-jo seo-sin, a visa-issuance support letter — is the formal document a foreign-patient-registered clinic issues on request to support a medical-visa application or a visa-extension request on medical grounds. The letter carries the clinic's MOHW registration number, the responsible physician's licence, the planned procedure, and the expected duration of treatment. The document is processed by the consulate or by Korean immigration on the merits of the underlying clinical need. See also: Foreign Patient Registration, Medical Confirmation.

VAT (부가가치세, bu-ga-ga-chi-se)

부가가치세 — bu-ga-ga-chi-se, the value-added tax — is the ten-per-cent consumption tax applied to most non-covered medical procedures in Korea, including aesthetic and regenerative-medicine work. The tax appears as a separate line on the itemised receipt and on the formal tax invoice. Foreign patients are eligible for partial VAT refund on selected medical-tourism procedures via the medical-tourism refund scheme administered through registered facilities; the scheme is documented at KHIDI and the procedural eligibility list is published on the medical-tourism portal. The clinic's coordinator typically handles the refund paperwork at the cashier on the day of payment. See also: Tax Invoice, KHIDI.

W

The W-letter entries cover the waiver paperwork and the witness-signature requirements — the documents that close the procedural-consent register.

Waiver of Photography (촬영 동의 거부서, chwal-yeong dong-ui geo-bu-seo)

The 촬영 동의 거부서 — chwal-yeong dong-ui geo-bu-seo, a waiver-of-photography form — is the document one signs to decline the clinic's request to photograph the procedural site for clinical-record or marketing purposes. The Korean clinical convention separates the two consents — record photography is rarely declined; marketing-use photography is the more sensitive consent. The waiver is revocable at any time, and the prior images must be deleted on revocation under the Personal Information Protection Act. See also: Personal Information Consent.

Witness Signature (입회인 서명, ip-hoe-in seo-myeong)

The 입회인 서명 — ip-hoe-in seo-myeong, a witness signature — is the third-party signature line on the operative-consent form, attesting that the signing patient understood the procedural risks, the alternatives, and the contraindications, and consented voluntarily. The witness is, by Korean clinical convention, a member of the clinic's nursing or coordinator staff rather than a guardian or family member; the role is administrative rather than supervisory or substitutive. The line is not always required for non-anaesthetic injection procedures, but is standard for any procedure involving sedation or for any procedure beyond the routine outpatient register. See also: Consent Form, Guardian Consent.

Frequently asked questions

Which administrative documents should a foreign patient request before leaving the clinic?

In my reading, four documents close the file properly — the bilingual itemised receipt (영수증), the medical confirmation (진료 확인서), the treatment plan (치료 계획서), and the prescription (처방전). For a procedure invoiced over a meaningful threshold, the tax invoice (세금계산서) is the fifth. Request the bilingual versions at the cashier, on the day; retrospective issuance is permitted but rarely seamless.

Is the resident registration number (주민등록번호) required for a foreign patient at a Gangnam clinic?

The 주민등록번호 is the Korean national identifier and is not in play for the short-term-stay foreign patient. The cashier may ask out of habit; one offers the passport number — and, where applicable, the foreign registration number — instead. The EMR accepts the passport as the primary identifier at any clinic registered to receive foreign patients.

What is the difference between a 진단서 and a 소견서?

The 진단서 — diagnostic certificate — is the formal, ICD-10-coded clinical statement, legally binding and required for visa-extension and most insurance reimbursement. The 소견서 — medical opinion — is the narrative clinical letter, less formal and more flexible. One requests the diagnostic certificate when the documentation must be unambiguous, and the medical opinion when a reasoned clinical narrative is sufficient.

Are aesthetic and regenerative procedures covered by Korean National Health Insurance?

Most aesthetic and regenerative-medicine procedures sit in the 비급여 — non-covered — category and are clinic-set within Korean transparency requirements. The National Health Insurance covers a defined set of conditions, typically excluding elective aesthetic and most stem-cell work. The fee schedule (수가표) one consults at a Gangnam clinic is therefore the 비급여 schedule, and the prices are the clinic's own.

How does one verify a Korean clinic's foreign-patient registration?

The 외국인환자 유치 등록 number — beginning with an A and the issue year — is searchable on the Korea Medical website administered by KHIDI. The clinic should display the certificate on its regulatory page and at the entrance; the absence of either is a categorical signal. The number is the credential one cross-references before the appointment, not after.

Is the value-added tax refundable for foreign medical-tourism patients?

A partial VAT refund is available for selected medical-tourism procedures performed at registered facilities, under a scheme administered through KHIDI. The procedural eligibility list and the refund mechanics are published on the KHIDI medical-tourism portal; the clinic's coordinator typically handles the paperwork. Confirm eligibility at the bilingual estimate stage rather than at the cashier.

What does it mean if a clinic does not issue a bilingual estimate (다국어 견적서)?

The absence of a bilingual estimate is, in editorial reading, a signal that the clinic is operating on a domestic cadence and has not absorbed the foreign-patient operational set. It is not, on its own, evidence of a quality concern; it is evidence that one is, in effect, the first foreign patient of the season. The bilingual estimate is the document one requests as a baseline, not a courtesy.

Are Korean prescriptions filled at the clinic itself?

By regulation, Korean prescriptions are filled at independent pharmacies (약국, yak-guk), not at the clinic — the dispensing-prescribing separation is a standing principle of the Korean pharmaceutical system. A small number of in-hospital pharmacies operate as exceptions. The 처방전 is valid for three days from issuance; a bilingual instruction sheet is available at most foreign-patient-friendly pharmacies on request.