Booking a Korean Hospital Without a Korean Mobile Number: For Koreans Living in the U.S.

For Koreans living in the United States — especially Korean citizens who are permanent residents or long-term U.S. residents — booking a hospital appointment in Korea can be unexpectedly difficult.

Many Koreans who live in the U.S. do not maintain a Korean mobile phone number. Their daily life, phone number, insurance, and medical records are based in the United States. But when they try to book a Korean hospital from abroad, they often run into a system that still assumes they live in Korea.

In Korea, a mobile phone number is used as an identity verification tool. Many online reservation systems ask users to verify themselves through a Korean mobile phone number registered under their own name. For Koreans living in Korea, this may feel normal. But for Koreans living in the U.S. without a Korean mobile number, this can become the first major barrier.

The Challenge for Korean Families Living in the U.S.

This issue becomes even more complicated when family members have different nationalities. For example, a Korean citizen husband and a U.S. citizen wife may be directed to two different booking channels at the same hospital in Korea. The husband may be guided to the Korean-language website, where he is expected to follow the same process as someone living in Korea — including Korean mobile identity verification through phone calls or KakaoTalk.

His wife, on the other hand, may need to start from the hospital’s English website or international patient channel. She may have to fill out a separate appointment form, provide passport information, or request a booking through WhatsApp or email. The husband may want to help because he speaks Korean, but he can still run into difficulties. He may have to restart the booking process through a different website, communicate with a different team, and submit a different set of information.

By the time both appointments are arranged, it may be difficult to secure the same date and time for both family members. This can be especially frustrating for families visiting Korea for a short period, when every day of the trip matters.

How Himedi Helps

This issue matters deeply to Himedi because about 30% of our customers are of Korean heritage. Through our work with many Korean hospitals, we have come to understand why this problem happens. In large hospitals, teams serving local Korean patients and international patients often have clearly separated roles. Their systems are built around those categories, which can make it difficult to support families who do not fit neatly into one group.

At Himedi, we believe Korean families living in the U.S. should be able to book together more easily, regardless of each family member’s nationality. We know which hospitals are flexible enough to support families through one booking channel. We believe this is the service model that fits today’s global society.

Hospitals still need to verify each patient’s identity to create a hospital registration number, manage medical records safely, and complete required reporting for certain medications or procedures. Through Himedi, Korean families living in the U.S. can request appointments together, find the right booking path, and receive support before their trip to Korea.

About the Author

Donkyo Seo — Co-founder & CEO, Himedi

For the past 9 years, Donkyo has helped international patients navigate Korean healthcare. Himedi is licensed by Korea's Ministry of Health & Welfare (License #A-2016-01-01-2345).