Photo: Bak1999 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
If you’re researching where to receive advanced medical care in Korea, Severance Hospital deserves a close look. It is one of Korea’s “Big 5” university hospitals, alongside Samsung Medical Center, Asan Medical Center, Seoul National University Hospital, and Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital. However, Severance holds one distinction the others don’t. It is the oldest Western-style hospital in Korea, with a 140-year history of patient care. For Severance Hospital international patients, that history means deep institutional experience in caring for people from abroad.
This guide covers what makes Severance Hospital stand out. You’ll also learn what its International Health Care Center offers, and what to expect when planning a visit.
Severance Hospital at a Glance
Severance Hospital was founded in 1885 by Dr. Horace N. Allen as Korea’s first Western-style hospital, originally named Gwanghyewon. It has been affiliated with Yonsei University College of Medicine since 1957. Today, it operates as the flagship hospital of the Yonsei University Health System (YUHS).
Located in the Sinchon district of Seoul, the main campus is one of the oldest and biggest university hospitals in South Korea, with roughly 2,437 beds and around 2.5 million outpatient visits and 840,000 inpatient admissions each year. Severance is part of a larger network that includes Gangnam Severance Hospital in southern Seoul and Yongin Severance Hospital in the satellite city of Yongin, giving patients multiple access points depending on the treatment they need.
Within the Sinchon campus, Severance operates five specialized hospitals under one roof:
- Yonsei Cancer Hospital
- Severance Cardiovascular Hospital
- Severance Children’s Hospital
- Severance Rehabilitation Hospital
- Severance EYE Hospital
This “hospital-within-a-hospital” structure means patients with complex or multi-system conditions can move between specialists without switching institutions.
Severance Hospital International Patients: The International Health Care Center Since 1962
Severance Hospital international patients have access to one of the longest-running international care programs in Korea. Severance’s International Health Care Center (IHCC) has one of the longest track records of any hospital in Korea for treating foreign patients — it opened in 1962 as Korea’s first international clinic.
The center is staffed with coordinators and interpreters covering multiple languages, and provides medical care and interpretation services for English, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and Mongolian patients. Services extend well beyond translation — the center arranges limousine service for VIP patients, a fast-track scheduling system built around foreign patients’ travel timelines, exclusive lounges, on-call support, and follow-up care through a smart e-health system after patients return home.
The IHCC is located on the 3rd floor of Severance Hospital, and can be reached directly:
– General inquiries / appointments: +82-2-2228-5800 or +82-2-2228-5810
– Appointment Center: +82-2-2228-1004
– Visa physical exam section: +82-2-2228-5827
– Fax: +82-2-362-6835
– Email: ihcc@yuhs.ac – Address: 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
For patients who prefer to reach out in Chinese, Russian, Mongolian, or Arabic, Severance’s international patient social media channels (Instagram: @severance.intl_official) list dedicated language-specific email addresses — worth checking directly if your preferred language isn’t English.
One detail worth highlighting for patients planning to relocate or study in Korea: the IHCC is authorized by the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines to conduct the physical examinations required for immigrant and student visas, and can issue the related documentation directly.
Centers of Excellence: Where Severance Leads
Robotic Surgery — Asia’s Largest Training Center
Severance has been a pioneer in robotic surgery since introducing Korea’s first robotic surgical system in 2005. The hospital’s Robot & Minimally Invasive Surgery Center, established in 2008 as the first of its kind in Korea, has trained 2,169 medical staff from 38 countries, and Severance became the world’s first hospital to surpass 30,000 robotic-assisted surgeries.
Cancer Care — Yonsei Cancer Hospital
Yonsei Cancer Hospital traces back to the Yonsei Cancer Center, established in 1969 as South Korea’s first dedicated cancer center. Today it runs 13 specialized cancer centers and 5 specialized centers covering the full treatment pathway from diagnosis through post-cure follow-up. Notable firsts include robotic IMRT, introduced in Asia for the first time in 2013, and advanced radiation options such as tomotherapy and proton-based treatment. Severance is also home to Korea’s first heavy ion therapy center, which began treating patients in April 2023 — one of only 16 institutions worldwide offering this technology. As of mid-2025, the center had treated over 670 patients across prostate, pancreatic, liver, and lung cancers, with a second rotating treatment room added in late 2025 to expand capacity further.
Cardiovascular Care
Severance Cardiovascular Hospital was Korea’s first dedicated national cardiovascular specialist center and performed the country’s first coronary angioplasty in 1983. According to hospital-published data, the center reports a complication rate of just 0.6% for treatment of heart structure defects and vascular/valve abnormalities, and a transplantation success rate close to 100%.
Ophthalmology
Korea’s first independent ophthalmology department dates back to 1908, and the current EYE Hospital, rebuilt in 2019, handles an average of 700 patients a day.
Accreditation & Quality: Why the Track Record Matters
Severance was the first hospital in Korea to receive Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation, and has since been re-certified five times in a row — a strong signal of consistent, internationally benchmarked patient safety standards rather than a one-time certification. In its 2013 re-accreditation, the hospital scored an average of 98 across 1,294 review sectors and 16 medical categories.
On the domestic side, Severance ranked first in Korea’s National Customer Satisfaction Index for 11 consecutive years. Combined with JCI accreditation, this dual recognition — international standards plus sustained domestic patient satisfaction — is a useful data point for patients comparing Big 5 hospitals.
Location & How to Get There
The main Severance Hospital campus is located at:
50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
It sits in the Sinchon area, a short taxi ride or subway trip from central Seoul (Sinchon Station, Seoul Metro Line 2). For patients whose treatment path involves other YUHS branches, keep in mind:
- Gangnam Severance Hospital — southern Seoul, useful for patients staying near Gangnam-area accommodations
- Yongin Severance Hospital — satellite city near Seoul
Planning Your Visit: What International Patients Should Know
- Contact the IHCC before booking flights. Coordinators will request medical records and imaging in advance to match you with the right specialist and estimate timelines.
- Ask about interpretation coverage for your language — Severance covers more languages than most Korean hospitals, but confirm availability for your specific appointment dates.
- Visa physical exams can often be handled directly through the IHCC if you’re applying for a visa to a country that accepts Severance’s authorized exam results.
- For a step-by-step breakdown of the Korea medical visa process itself, see our Korea Medical Visa Guide.
How Severance Compares Within the Big 5
Each Big 5 hospital tends to have a “signature strength” that shapes who it’s best suited for:
- Severance — longest institutional history in Korea, deep bench in robotic/minimally invasive surgery and cardiovascular care, strongest multilingual IHCC track record (since 1962)
- Samsung Medical Center — modern facilities, strong cancer and health-checkup programs (see our Samsung Medical Center guide)
- Asan Medical Center — highest surgical volume in Korea, transplant leadership (see our Asan Medical Center guide)
- Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) — Korea’s founding national university hospital, strong research output (see our SNUH guide)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Severance Hospital part of the Big 5 Korean hospitals?
Yes. Severance is one of the five hospitals — alongside Asan, Samsung, SNUH, and Seoul St. Mary’s — generally recognized as Korea’s top-tier university hospital group.
Does Severance Hospital have English-speaking staff?
Yes, through the International Health Care Center, which has operated continuously since 1962 and covers English, Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Mongolian, and Arabic.
Is Severance JCI accredited?
Yes, since 2007, with five consecutive re-accreditations.
Can Severance handle visa-related medical exams?
Yes — the IHCC is authorized to conduct physical exams for immigrant and student visas for the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines.