Foreign tourists spent a record $180 million on medical services in South Korea in May, up 74.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the Korea Tourism Organization.Dermatology led demand at 57.8 percent of spending, followed by plastic surgery at 18 percent. The surge in medical spending was largely driven by the growth of pharmacies, which had accounted for less than 5 percent of spending but surpassed 10 percent for the first time this year, reaching a record share in May.Chinese visitors topped spending with $47.1 million, followed by the United States at $34.2 million and Japan at $24.4 million. Taiwan and Singapore followed with $22 million and $10.7 million, respectively.
don@heraldcorp.com
