Living in Busan with an ARC? Your Korean Health Insurance Covers Us Too

Many expats in Busan assume that traditional Korean medicine is an out-of-pocket luxury, or that clinics are "for Koreans only." Neither is true — and if you are a registered resident, you may be surprised how affordable a visit is.

limda k-medical clinic (경희림다한의원) is next to the Park Hyatt Busan, and five measurements — pulse and constitution reading, body composition, EEG stress, and 3D facial analysis — take about 15 minutes.

limda k-medical clinic (경희림다한의원) is in Marine City, Haeundae, Busan — next door to Park Hyatt Busan.

Same insurance, same diagnosis and treatment process

If you hold an Alien Registration Card (ARC) and are enrolled in the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) — which is mandatory for most residents staying six months or longer — your insurance works at Korean medicine clinics. At LIMDA, international patients go through the same diagnosis and treatment process as Korean patients — the same pulse diagnosis, the same treatment plan — and NHIS coverage applies to insured items in the same way. Non-covered items are quoted before treatment.

What NHIS typically covers at a Korean medicine clinic

Acupuncture for conditions such as back pain, neck and shoulder pain, headaches, and joint problems is generally covered, along with cupping and moxibustion in many cases — meaning your per-visit cost can be a fraction of the uninsured price. Personalized herbal prescriptions (bo-yak) and wellness programs are generally non-covered items, and those fees are posted transparently and explained before treatment.

What to bring on your first visit

Your ARC (that's all we need to verify your insurance), a list of any medications you take, and your questions — the doctors consult directly in English, so you can ask them yourself rather than through a translation app.

Related reading

Korean Medicine on Your Busan Port Day → Docked in Busan for a Day? Fitting a Korean Medicine Visit Around Your Ship → Bringing Your Kids to a Korean Medicine Clinic in Busan →

Written by Dr. Chungrim Kim, KMD — Head Doctor, limda k-medical clinic, Busan (Doctor of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University).

This article is general health information written by a licensed medical professional and does not guarantee specific treatment outcomes. Published 2026-07-30.

limda k-medical clinic — 1F, I-Park T1, 38 Marine City 2-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan · +82-10-7925-6248 · Hours: Weekdays 10:00-19:00, Saturday 9:00-17:00, closed on public holidays (open on substitute holidays)

This article was first published by limda k-medical clinic (경희림다한의원, Marine City, Haeundae, Busan) at limda.co.kr/journal/nhis-expat-korean-medicine. Please credit the source when quoting.