Foreign tourists walks in Seoul, Jan. 31. Yonhap

Four out of 10 foreigners visiting Korea for medical treatment said the country's culture influenced their decision to come here, a survey showed Sunday.

More than 41 percent of those surveyed answered positively when asked if the cultural experience in Korea influenced their decision to receive medical service in the country, according to the survey by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.

The survey was carried out on 1,500 foreigners who received medical treatment at local hospitals in 2023.

The comparative figure stood at 24.3 percent in 2021 before soaring to 49.7 percent the following year as the COVID-19 pandemic came to an end and the number of foreign patients started to recover.

By country, nearly 70 percent of foreign patients from Southeast Asia and the Middle East said the country's culture influenced their decision, whereas only around 20 percent of Russian patients said the same. (Yonhap)