Why it's still worth having
Korea has genuinely excellent healthcare, but it isn't free for foreign visitors without insurance, and costs for significant treatment or hospitalization can add up quickly without coverage — the same logic that applies to travel insurance anywhere applies here: it's protection against a low-probability, high-cost event, not a reflection of how risky the destination is.
What to actually check your policy covers
- Medical treatment and hospitalization — the core reason to have coverage at all.
- Emergency evacuation — less likely to matter in a well-connected city like Seoul than in a remote destination, but still standard to check.
- Trip cancellation/interruption — useful if you've made significant non-refundable bookings.
- Adventure activity coverage — relevant if your itinerary includes skiing (see our ski resorts guide) or more strenuous hiking (see our Bukhansan guide), since some policies exclude or require add-ons for these.
Existing coverage worth checking first
Some credit cards include travel insurance automatically when you book travel with them, and some home health insurance plans offer limited international coverage — worth checking both before buying a separate policy, since you may already have partial coverage.
Tip: Buy insurance before you fly, not after you land — most policies won't cover a pre-existing situation from before the policy started, and some benefits (like cancellation coverage) only apply if purchased within a certain window of your first trip payment.