Shockwave therapy (ESWT) cost in Korea
In Korean: 체외충격파치료 (chewe chunggyeokpa chiryo)
Shockwave therapy (ESWT) has a median price of ₩80,000 at Korean hospitals (about US$60). That is the middle of the prices reported by 1,740 hospitals, 269 of them in Seoul, to HIRA, the government’s Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, as of 23 October 2026.
Median
₩80,000
US$60
Average
₩97,595
US$74
Lowest
₩5,000
US$3.77
Highest
₩600,000
US$452
Median: half of hospitals charge less, half more. Lowest and highest are single hospitals and can include unusual cases.
Shockwave therapy (ESWT) by kind of hospital
| Kind of hospital | Median | Average | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tertiary (university) hospitals상급종합 | ₩130,000 | ₩138,263 | ₩30,000 – ₩351,000 | 46 |
| General hospitals종합병원 | ₩80,000 | ₩99,197 | ₩5,000 – ₩500,000 | 288 |
| Hospitals병원 | ₩80,000 | ₩95,953 | ₩10,000 – ₩500,000 | 830 |
| Dental hospitals치과병원 | ₩50,500 | ₩50,500 | ₩42,000 – ₩59,000 | 1 |
| Korean medicine hospitals한방병원 | ₩80,000 | ₩97,587 | ₩10,000 – ₩600,000 | 471 |
| Long-term care hospitals요양병원 | ₩65,000 | ₩76,440 | ₩10,000 – ₩220,000 | 101 |
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.
Shockwave therapy (ESWT) by region
| Region | Median | Average | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul서울 | ₩100,000 | ₩118,725 | ₩5,000 – ₩500,000 | 269 |
| Gyeonggi경기 | ₩80,000 | ₩95,769 | ₩10,000 – ₩500,000 | 409 |
| Incheon인천 | ₩80,000 | ₩95,108 | ₩20,000 – ₩400,000 | 115 |
| Busan부산 | ₩90,000 | ₩103,216 | ₩10,000 – ₩500,000 | 125 |
| Daegu대구 | ₩80,000 | ₩93,653 | ₩30,000 – ₩450,000 | 83 |
| Daejeon대전 | ₩100,000 | ₩110,839 | ₩10,000 – ₩320,000 | 52 |
| Ulsan울산 | ₩80,000 | ₩92,338 | ₩10,000 – ₩300,000 | 33 |
| Sejong세종시 | ₩100,000 | ₩96,684 | ₩40,000 – ₩230,000 | 8 |
| Gangwon강원 | ₩60,000 | ₩77,732 | ₩20,000 – ₩450,000 | 45 |
| Chungbuk충북 | ₩67,500 | ₩77,854 | ₩10,000 – ₩250,000 | 42 |
| Chungnam충남 | ₩70,000 | ₩88,703 | ₩30,000 – ₩400,000 | 62 |
| Jeonbuk전북 | ₩60,000 | ₩74,281 | ₩10,000 – ₩320,000 | 77 |
| Jeonnam-Gwangju전남광주 | ₩74,750 | ₩88,459 | ₩10,000 – ₩600,000 | 232 |
| Gyeongbuk경북 | ₩60,000 | ₩68,268 | ₩30,000 – ₩200,000 | 50 |
| Gyeongnam경남 | ₩75,500 | ₩85,309 | ₩10,000 – ₩320,000 | 129 |
| Jeju제주 | ₩50,000 | ₩53,846 | ₩20,000 – ₩80,000 | 9 |
Regions with no reporting hospital are left out. Jeonnam-Gwangju is the merged Gwangju–South Jeolla region (since 1 July 2026).
What it is
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) sends pressure waves into a painful tendon or joint — commonly for plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow and shoulder tendinitis. Treatment is usually a series of sessions.
What the price includes
Prices are per session. Clinics often recommend three to five sessions, so ask for the total.
Health insurance
Shockwave therapy for musculoskeletal conditions is non-covered in most cases.
Ask at the hospital
체외충격파치료 가격이 얼마예요?
How much does it cost? — chewe chunggyeokpa chiryo gagyeogi eolmayeyo?
Questions
Does it hurt?
Most people feel it as uncomfortable tapping rather than pain; the intensity can be adjusted during the session.
About these numbers
- Source: HIRA non-covered medical fees open data (건강보험심사평가원 비급여진료비정보), item SZ0840000, 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.