A Korean medicine clinic visit where every ingredient is explained

A Korean medicine clinic (hanuiwon) is run by a licensed Korean medicine doctor, who takes your pulse, asks about sleep, digestion and medication, then prescribes. Visitors mostly come for two things: Korean herbal diet medicine, and acupuncture with Chuna for back and neck pain. KCODI books the visit at the local rate, and your interpreter makes sure you know what is in the pouch before you pay for it.

Ingredients explained before you buy
Interpreter in the consultation, free
One visit, fits any Seoul trip

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Korean medicine treatments and typical Seoul prices

Market estimate, not a quote. Your written quote comes after a free consultation.

Why book a Korean medicine clinic through KCODI

01
An interpreter who can explain hanbang
Korean medicine has its own vocabulary. She turns the doctor's explanation into plain English, and your medical history into the terms the doctor needs.
02
She stays for the treatment too
Needles, cupping, a Chuna adjustment. She tells you what comes next, and tells the doctor when something feels wrong.
03
Local rate, one month at a time
Herbal medicine is priced per month of supply. You get the price in writing, and nobody pushes three months on your first visit.
04
Getting it home
How the pouches are packed, whether they need a fridge, how to carry them on a flight, and what to check with your own customs office first.

A Korean medicine clinic visit where every ingredient is explained

Booking direct vs booking with KCODI

Same clinic, same surgeon. What changes is who is on your side of the desk.

Booking directWith KCODI

InterpreterBooking direct:The clinic's coordinator, if one speaks your languageKCODI:Your own medical interpreter, assigned free

Surgery dayBooking direct:You check in aloneKCODI:She stays from check-in to discharge

QuoteBooking direct:Often verbal, in a chat windowKCODI:Written and itemised before any deposit

Price listBooking direct:Overseas-patient price list at many clinicsKCODI:Partner rate agreed in advance, no foreigner markup

Recovery daysBooking direct:You search hotels and food yourselfKCODI:Hotel, soft food and pharmacy list for your clinic's area

After you fly homeBooking direct:Email the clinic in English and waitKCODI:Message your interpreter, she relays it in Korean

What clinics offer differs. Ask us about the clinic you have in mind and we tell you what applies there.

What patients ask before visiting a Korean medicine clinic

What is in Korean herbal diet medicine?
Formulas differ by clinic and by patient, but many contain ephedra (mahwang), a stimulant that reduces appetite. It does not suit everyone. If you have heart disease, high blood pressure or a thyroid problem, or you are pregnant, say so. Your interpreter asks the doctor for the full ingredient list, and you tell the doctor every medicine you take.
Can I bring herbal medicine home through customs?
It depends on your country. Some countries restrict ephedra, and some limit how much herbal medicine a traveller can bring in. Check your customs and drug authority rules before you buy. Ask the clinic for an ingredient list and a prescription note in English, and start with one month's supply.
Is acupuncture in Korea safe?
Korean medicine doctors hold a national licence after a six-year degree, and clinics use sterile single-use needles as standard. Mild bruising or soreness can happen. Tell the doctor if you take blood thinners, have a pacemaker or are pregnant.

What you can hold us to

Quote first, deposit later
You never pay a deposit before you hold a written, itemised quote.
A name and a face before you fly
You know who your interpreter is, and which language she speaks, before you board.
You pay us nothing
No booking fee, no interpreter fee, no fee for asking. The clinic pays our coordination fee.

Fitting a Korean medicine visit into your trip

One visit of about an hour covers the consultation and a first treatment. Herbal medicine is made to your prescription, so it is usually ready later that day or the next, and many clinics deliver it to your hotel. For pain treatment, two or three sessions across a week tell you more than one.

Bring a list of your medicines and any recent blood test results.
Eat lightly before acupuncture. Don't arrive hungry, and don't come straight from drinking.
Ask for pouches packed for travel, and check your airline's liquid rules before you pack them.
If you get palpitations, insomnia or dizziness, stop the medicine and message us. We relay it to the doctor.

Doing more than one thing on this trip?

Skin treatments usually fit around a surgery consultation, and a checkup takes half a day. Tell us everything on your list and we put it in one schedule, with one interpreter.

Plan my whole trip

The people who sit next to you

View all

English desk

Jeongil Seo

Korean · English

English desk

Daeun Lee

Korean · English

English desk

Jisoo Yoo

Korean · English

English desk

Sooyeon Lee

Korean · English

Japanese desk

Somin Park

Korean · Japanese

Japanese desk

Sanga Lee

Korean · Japanese

Mandarin desk

Kyungsook Moon

Korean · Mandarin

Mandarin desk

Sua Yoon

Korean · Mandarin

Questions patients ask us

Does Korean herbal diet medicine work?

Results differ by person, and no honest clinic promises a number. The medicine mainly reduces appetite, so it works alongside eating less, not instead of it. The doctor adjusts the formula to your body and health history. See Korean herbal diet medicine.

How much does Korean medicine treatment cost?

Herbal diet medicine is priced per month of supply. Acupuncture and Chuna are priced per session. Typical Seoul ranges are listed above, and you see the price in writing before anything is made up for you.

Do I need to book ahead?

A few days is usually enough. Popular clinics fill up at weekends. Tell us your dates and we book a slot together with your interpreter.

What is Chuna therapy?

Chuna is manual therapy done by a Korean medicine doctor: pushing, stretching and adjusting the spine and joints, often combined with acupuncture. People come for back, neck and posture problems. See acupuncture and Chuna.

Can I reorder herbal medicine from abroad?

Some clinics do follow-up consultations by message and ship refills. Whether it can be shipped to you depends on your country's import rules, so check them first. Your interpreter handles the conversation with the clinic.