LASIK cost in Korea
In Korean: 라식 (rasik)
LASIK has a median price of ₩2,500,000 at Korean hospitals (about US$1,885). That is the middle of the prices reported by 25 hospitals, 6 of them in Seoul, to HIRA, the government’s Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, as of 23 October 2026.
Median
₩2,500,000
US$1,885
Average
₩2,842,408
US$2,144
Lowest
₩1,000,000
US$754
Highest
₩7,500,000
US$5,656
Median: half of hospitals charge less, half more. Lowest and highest are single hospitals and can include unusual cases.
LASIK by kind of hospital
| Kind of hospital | Median | Average | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tertiary (university) hospitals상급종합 | ₩2,464,000 | ₩2,416,771 | ₩2,000,000 – ₩2,743,200 | 6 |
| General hospitals종합병원 | ₩1,961,000 | ₩1,908,300 | ₩1,000,000 – ₩2,498,400 | 3 |
| Hospitals병원 | ₩2,780,000 | ₩3,023,919 | ₩1,000,000 – ₩7,500,000 | 16 |
University (tertiary) hospitals are the large teaching hospitals such as those of Seoul National, Yonsei and Korea universities. Small clinics (의원) are not in this data — see how to check a clinic’s price.
LASIK by region
| Region | Median | Average | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul서울 | ₩2,498,000 | ₩2,369,729 | ₩1,446,000 – ₩2,800,000 | 6 |
| Gyeonggi경기 | ₩2,200,000 | ₩2,460,000 | ₩2,000,000 – ₩3,200,000 | 3 |
| Incheon인천 | ₩2,450,000 | ₩2,983,333 | ₩2,350,000 – ₩4,150,000 | 1 |
| Busan부산 | ₩3,450,000 | ₩3,827,692 | ₩1,000,000 – ₩7,500,000 | 3 |
| Daejeon대전 | ₩2,800,000 | ₩3,000,000 | ₩1,700,000 – ₩5,000,000 | 2 |
| Ulsan울산 | ₩2,500,000 | ₩2,440,000 | ₩1,500,000 – ₩3,000,000 | 2 |
| Chungnam충남 | ₩2,200,000 | ₩2,232,800 | ₩2,000,000 – ₩2,498,400 | 2 |
| Jeonbuk전북 | ₩2,600,000 | ₩2,700,000 | ₩1,500,000 – ₩4,000,000 | 1 |
| Jeonnam-Gwangju전남광주 | ₩2,200,000 | ₩2,243,158 | ₩1,400,000 – ₩4,500,000 | 3 |
| Gyeongnam경남 | ₩2,197,400 | ₩2,197,400 | ₩2,197,400 – ₩2,197,400 | 1 |
| Jeju제주 | ₩1,000,000 | ₩1,000,000 | ₩1,000,000 – ₩1,000,000 | 1 |
Regions with no reporting hospital are left out. Jeonnam-Gwangju is the merged Gwangju–South Jeolla region (since 1 July 2026).
What it is
LASIK corrects short-sightedness, long-sightedness and astigmatism by reshaping the cornea with an excimer laser under a thin flap. Vision usually recovers within a day or two, which is why it is popular with visitors who have only a short stay in Korea.
What the price includes
Hospitals report one price for the procedure. HIRA does not say whether a figure is for one eye or both, and pre-surgery eye tests are usually charged separately, so ask for a written quote that lists both.
Health insurance
LASIK is treated as a non-covered procedure, so National Health Insurance pays nothing toward it — Koreans and foreigners pay the same full price.
Ask at the hospital
라식 가격이 얼마예요?
How much does it cost? — rasik gagyeogi eolmayeyo?
Questions
Is SMILE LASIK in this data?
No. HIRA publishes LASIK and LASEK as separate items but has no item for SMILE (small-incision lenticule extraction), so its price is not in the official data.
Why is the highest price so far from the median?
A few hospitals report premium packages — newer lasers, extra tests or follow-up visits — at much higher prices. The median shows what a typical hospital charges; the average is pulled up by those packages.
About these numbers
- Source: HIRA non-covered medical fees open data (건강보험심사평가원 비급여진료비정보), item 2Z9610001, updated 23 October 2026.
- Covers hospitals (병원급: university, general, dental, Korean medicine and other hospitals). Small clinics (의원) report to HIRA too but are not in the open data; their prices can be lower or higher.
- Median, average, lowest and highest are HIRA’s own figures. Hospital counts are the number of hospitals listed for each item.
- US$ amounts are rough conversions at ₩1,326 = US$1 (22 Oct 2026). Your card or exchange rate will differ.
- Prices are what hospitals report, not quotes. Always ask the hospital for a written estimate.