South Korea Emerging As Key Destination For Medical Treatments - Amden Capital
By M. Saraswathi
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- Healthcare financing and wellness travel institution, Amden Capital Sdn Bhd, sees strong potential for South Korea to become a key destination for Malaysians and other international patients seeking specialised medical treatment, particularly in areas where the country has developed considerable specialist expertise, advanced technology and significant procedural experience.
In an exclusive interview with Bernama recently, chief executive officer Ranjit Singh said South Korea has developed specialised expertise in plastic and reconstructive surgery, aesthetic treatments, liposuction and body contouring, women’s health and wellness, men’s health, minimally invasive varicose vein treatment, oncology, orthopaedics, as well as selected Korean traditional medicine and wellness programmes.
He said its approach was not to promote South Korea indiscriminately or encourage patients to travel for every type of treatment, but to focus on areas where the country could offer a genuine advantage in specialist expertise, medical technology, treatment options or the overall patient experience.
“Malaysia remains an important market for Amden Capital, but this initiative is not limited to Malaysians.
“Since 2025, we have been progressively building our international presence, with the longer-term intention of serving patients from across Southeast Asia and other selected markets,” he said.
Ranjit said South Korea’s strength was based on a combination of highly specialised medical expertise, advanced technology, considerable procedural experience and well-developed healthcare infrastructure.
He said patients should evaluate the complete value of treatment, including specialist experience, technology, safety, expected length of stay, recovery requirements and aftercare, rather than comparing headline prices alone.
He also highlighted the importance of a private, personalised and properly coordinated patient experience covering communication before travel, interpretation, appointments, accommodation, transportation, treatment, recovery and follow-up after returning home.
He said it had introduced its Care Verified by Amden Capital initiative as an additional layer of verification and transparency for patients considering treatment in South Korea.
Amden Capital was invited and hosted by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), a government-backed organisation under South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare, and had established a direct and open line of communication with KHIDI and its South Korean network.
“Through this relationship, we can use the appropriate channels to assist patients in checking relevant information about a proposed hospital, clinic, specialist or medical facilitator,” he said.
Amden Capital has also signed 16 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with organisations across Gwangju, Busan and Jeju as it moves to establish an end-to-end international healthcare travel ecosystem in South Korea.
Working with these partners, Amden Capital aims to coordinate the patient journey from provider verification and review to specialist consultations, interpretation, travel arrangements and post-treatment follow-up.
Depending on the case, the verification process may include the provider’s identity and status, stated specialties, specialist credentials, international-patient experience, proposed treatment, indicative costs, patient-support arrangements and aftercare procedures.
He stressed that Care Verified was available to anyone considering treatment in South Korea, whether or not they were an existing client.
“It does not replace professional medical advice or guarantee a treatment outcome. Its purpose is to provide an additional layer of verification and transparency so that patients can make better-informed decisions,” said Ranjit.
He added that every case must still be assessed individually to determine whether the proposed treatment and overseas journey were suitable for the patient.
“Our longer-term objective is to position Amden Capital as a trusted international healthcare and medical travel institution, connecting patients with suitable providers and coordinated support across borders,” he said.
-- BERNAMA