Can You Tell Me Which Cancer Center in Korea Is the Best? (As of 2026)

To answer up front: the knowledge notes provided contain no basis for ranking specific hospitals, and under Korean medical law, individual hospitals' treatment outcomes are not used in advertising. However, we can walk you through the nationwide statistics and comparison process Korea has in place for stomach cancer and blood cancer treatment.

Key Takeaways

• The knowledge notes contain no data ranking hospitals by performance, and the consistent principle applied is that hospital names and hospital-specific outcomes are not recorded in the notes.
• Under Korean medical law, individual hospitals' treatment outcomes may not be used in advertising, so the only publicly available figures are the nationwide averages from the National Cancer Center Korea's Central Cancer Registry statistics (national totals).
• Korea's 5-year relative survival rate for stomach cancer is 78.6% (National Cancer Registry Statistics, 2019–2023), often compared with the US SEER figure (2016–2022) of 39.8% — but this is a nationwide statistic, not the performance record of any particular hospital.
• For leukemia, Korea's 5-year relative survival rate is 55.7% (National Cancer Registry Statistics, 2019–2023); however, outcomes vary greatly by subtype and risk group, so this figure cannot be applied directly to any individual patient.
• On the service side, there is a remote review (pre-arrival review) process — after submitting imaging, biopsy results, and a diagnosis report, you receive a written opinion within 5 business days for a review fee of KRW 1,000,000 (deducted from treatment costs if you proceed) — which compares three hospitals matched to your stage and condition.

Why can't a specific hospital be named?

• Korean medical law restricts the use of comparative treatment outcomes or claims of superiority between hospitals in advertising, and the notes follow this same principle by not recording hospital names or hospital-specific outcomes.
• The only publicly verifiable data are nationwide averages, such as the National Cancer Registry Statistics compiled by the National Cancer Center Korea's Central Cancer Registry, which do not reflect the performance of any specific hospital or medical team.
• Both the stomach cancer figure (78.6%) and the leukemia figure (55.7%) are based on National Cancer Registry Statistics 2019–2023 — they are not numbers showing which hospital performs better, but rather reflect Korea's overall treatment environment and early-detection system as a country.

So what criteria can be used to compare hospitals?

• The process for finding a hospital suited to an individual's condition is as follows.
• Step 1 — Submit imaging (DICOM), biopsy results, and a diagnosis report.
• Step 2 — A written opinion is prepared within 5 business days of the complete records being received, at a cost of KRW 1,000,000.
• Step 3 — This written opinion includes a comparison of three hospitals matched to your stage and condition, along with package estimates.
• Step 4 — If you proceed with treatment, the KRW 1,000,000 remote-review fee is deducted from your treatment costs. Since the service is considered complete once the written opinion is delivered, it is not eligible for a refund — however, if a hospital exceeds the 5-business-day window, the review fee is refunded in full.
• Rather than ranking hospitals against one another, this comparison process presented in the notes is designed to help identify the hospital best suited to your stage and treatment approach.

FAQ — Can I choose a hospital based on National Cancer Registry Statistics figures?

No. Figures such as 78.6% (stomach cancer) or 55.7% (leukemia) from the National Cancer Registry Statistics 2019–2023 are nationwide averages across all Korean patients, not the outcomes of any specific hospital. Individual results vary greatly depending on stage, histologic type, age, and comorbidities, so it is not appropriate to choose a specific hospital based on these figures.

FAQ — How should international patients prepare costs and procedures?

International patients are not covered by Korea's national health insurance, and treatment costs are, in principle, paid out of pocket, with each hospital applying its own separate rate schedule for foreign patients. Payment typically proceeds in three stages: a deposit before treatment begins, then testing and treatment, and finally settlement of actual costs at discharge. To file a claim with your home-country insurer, you will need an English-language itemized billing statement, receipts, a diagnosis report, and admission/discharge confirmation documents.

Sources and Notes

• This article was written based on the notes on stomach cancer, blood cancers, and which countries have high rates of stomach cancer (citing the National Cancer Center Korea's Central Cancer Registry National Cancer Registry Statistics 2019–2023, US SEER 2016–2022, the National Cancer Information Center, NCCN patient guidelines, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and HiKorea); no data on hospital rankings or specific hospital outcomes exists in the notes, so none was included.
• This content is intended for general medical information purposes only. Diagnosis, treatment methods, and outcomes may vary depending on individual circumstances. Please consult with medical professionals to determine an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.