Living in foreign countries makes it hard to go to medical institutions, due to the unfamiliar atmosphere and communication issues. Unless the case is just a simple checkup or prescription, it could be a burden for queer individuals to come out for therapy, psychiatric practice, or surgery. We would like to share some queer-friendly medical clinics, hoping to help various non-Koreans who live in South Korea.
English Translation: 지니
Translation review: Juyeon
Writer of the original text: Miguel
Review and amendments to the original text: 레이, 지니
웹·SNS 게시: 에스텔
Anything to learn about the following institutions?
● This article is gathering institutions in Seoul that are queer-friendly and offering foreign language services. We have listed some of them, and some queer-friendly institutions could not be listed due to a lack of information on medical care for foreigners.
● Before visiting, it is recommended to check if medical care for foreigners would be available. Even if they offer it, the coordinator’s queer-friendly mindset might be important as well.
● If you plan to visit tertiary hospitals, you should get a doctor's referral from local clinics to benefit from medical insurance. Make sure to check before the visit.
● The following articles will cover medical institutions outside of Seoul. If you have any corrections to this article or recommendations for the following articles, please share them with us through the commentary box!
Before Reading: The Ship Northwest, a Community Pursuing the Right to Know of LGBTQ+ Individuals
What is The Ship Northwest?
● Website: https://theshipnorthwest.tistory.com (only in Korean)
● The Ship Northwest is an online platform that offers lists of queer-friendly psychiatric clinics, based on professional advice and visitors’ reviews.
● Medical service centers and therapies should provide appropriate treatment and services, without discrimination based on patients’ or clients' sexual orientation and gender identity. However, various institutions still fail to do so.
● Due to these limitations, it becomes difficult for queer individuals to access timely counseling or treatment. Since The Ship Northwest has concerns with it, they collect information and share it publicly.
Are institutions that offer non-Korean services also listed?
● Unfortunately, the Ship Northwest service is only available in Korean. Non-Korean reviews are rarely seen.
● However, it does provide information about various counseling centers and medical institutions from all over the country. You may be able to utilize it with the information you were looking for.
● Below, we have covered institutions that cater to non-Korean queer visitors, along with any available reviews from the Ship Northwest.
● If you are a Korean speaker, you can get more information about hospitals from KITE (Korean Initiative for Transgender Health).
Mujigae Clinic (Mapo-gu, Seoul)
General Information
● Website: Korean website (Only in Korean)
● English Address: 80, World Cup-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul (7th floor), near Mangwon station on line 6
● Korean Address: 서울특별시 마포구 월드컵로 80 서교동 양경회관 7층
● Tel: +82 02-326-0611
● E-mail: mapomedcoop@naver.com
Characteristics
● Specialties: Family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, dermatology, urology, etc.
● Mujigae Clinic is registered as an English-speaking institution at Mapo-gu health center.
● Operated by the Mapo Social Cooperative of Health and Welfare Community Enterprise established by both local residents and doctors, aiming to foster a healthy and democratic local community.
● The clinic prioritizes non-discriminatory medical care, particularly focusing on providing medical services and mobile clinics for marginalized groups such as foreigners, immigrants, people with disabilities, and sexual minorities who may be overlooked in general health care services.
Reviews left at the Ship Northwest
● No reviews yet.
Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital LGBTQ+ Center (Gangdong-gu, Seoul)
General Information
● Website: English Website, Chinese Website, Japanese Website
● English Address: 150, Seongan-ro,Gangdong-gu, Seoul, near Gangdong station on line 5
● Korean Address: 서울특별시 강동구 성안로 150
● Tel: +82 1588-4100
● E-mail: lgbtq.plus@kdh.or.kr
Characteristics
● Specialties: Plastic surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, urology, surgery, psychiatry, endocrinology, and infectious diseases
● It is recognized as a multidisciplinary medical center providing specialized care for sexual minorities, particularly known for transgender surgeries like gender confirmation surgery.
● Every department of Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital provides comprehensive care for sexual minority patients’ overall health issues through a dedicated medical system.
● Patients can have their preferred name and gender recorded in the medical records system, and the medical staff provide treatment accordingly.
Reviews left on the Ship Northwest (as of May 2023)
● “I heard that there’s an LGBTQ+ center. I went there and didn’t experience any discrimination or hate. I liked it.”
● “Professors with various specialties are listed on the center’s website. Because they had a basic understanding of queer issues, if you made a reservation with them, you wouldn’t have to worry so much.”
● “When coming out as non-binary, Professor Kim Giwon casually asked me “Would you like me to refer you to endocrinology for hormone therapy?” as if it’s not a big deal (seems like he knows what non-binary means.) No hateful experiences occurred, with him trying to be very careful.”
● “When I made my first reservation for psychiatry through a phone call, I asked if the doctor works for the LGBT+ center. The receiver was like “Then you want hormone therapy? Why ask for psychiatry, not plastic surgery?” Some don’t have relevant understanding, so I hope you look into it by yourself when making a reservation.
Korea University Anam Hospital Gender Clinic (Seongbuk-gu)
General Information
● Website: English Website for its language service
● English Address: 73, Goryeodae-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, near Anam station on line 6
● Korean Address: 서울특별시 성북구 고려대로 73
● Tel: +82 1577-0083
● E-mail: genderclinickorea@gmail.com
Characteristics
● Specialties: Plastic surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, urology, psychiatry, colon and rectal surgery, etc
● This hospital hosts the sole LGBTQ+ related clinic, which provides multidimensional treatments for a wide range of LGBTQ+ patients, including transgender individuals, as well as those with congenital genital abnormalities and intersex conditions.
● In addition to external changes, the hospital has established a multidisciplinary treatment system with various medical departments to facilitate a transition to a stable life. It also offers follow-up treatment for patients who suffer from physical and psychological sequelae after surgery performed outside of Korea.
Reviews left on the Ship Northwest (as of July 2018)
● “When I came out as bisexual to Won Eunsu at Korea University Anam Hospital (in my case, sexual orientation was not the primary reason for treatment,) they did not express any hatred and treated my identity as equal to any other aspect of my life. I have been attending the hospital without any issues. However, due to its characteristics as a university hospital, a diagnostic report is required for a visit. For those who feel anxious in crowded waiting rooms, I would recommend seeking out alternative hospitals.
KHAP(Seoul, Busan, Gyeonggi-do Ansan)
While KHAP (Korea Federation for HIV/AIDS Prevention) is not a medical institution, it is listed here as it provides useful information for non-Korean LGBTQ+ individuals, including anonymous testing for sexually transmitted infections.
General Information
● Website: English Website
● Address: On the website (4 centers, one in Seoul near Itaewon station on line 6, one in Seoul near Gireum station on line 4, one in Busan near Beomil station on line 1, and one in Ansan near Ansan station on line 4)
● Tel: +82 02-927-4322, +82 010-2654-4322, Kakao ID: KHAP-1
● E-mail: khap@kaids.or.kr
Characteristics
● Every month, each center in Seoul, Busan and Ansan provides free anonymous rapid HIV tests and comprehensive STI tests for foreign residents living in Korea.
● Please refer to the schedule in advance posted on the website. Especially for rapid HIV tests, advance reservation is required.
Medical Centers Known for Their Queer-Friendly Service
Below are known for their queer-friendly services, but please note that their availability of foreign language services has not been confirmed.
Saekdareun Clinic (Supporting Diversity and Reproductive Health Clinic) (Dongjak-gu, Seoul)
General Information
● Website: Korean Website (Only in Korean)
● English Address: 98, Jangseungbaegi-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, 6th floor, near Jangseungbaegi station on line 7
● Korean Address: 서울특별시 동작구 장승배기로 98 장승빌딩 6층
● Tel: +82 02-2088-1771
● Brief Introduction: “From a life-cycle perspective, with no restrictions based on designated genders, we strive to provide evidence-based precise counseling through comprehensive and professional treatment, for patients to care for their sexual/reproductive health.”
Sallim Clinic (Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul)
General Information
● Website: Korean Website (Only in Korean)
● English Address: 149, Seooreung-ro, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, 2nd floor, near Gusan station on line 6
● Korean Address: 서울특별시 은평구 서오릉로 149 세웅빌딩 2층
● Tel: +82 02-6014-9949
● E-mail: salimcoop@salimcoop.org
● Brief Introduction: With the motto “True health comes from no discrimination,” we aim to be a medical clinic where transgender individuals and sexual minorities can easily reveal their identities and get treatment.
Noksaek Hospital (Jungrang-gu, Seoul)
General Information
● Website: Korean Website (Only in Korean)
● English Address: 53, Sagajeong-ro 49-gil, Jungnang-gu, Seoul, near Sagajeong station on line 7
● Korean Address: 서울시 중랑구 사가정로 49길 53
● Tel: +82 02-490-2000
● Brief Introduction: We run a Human rights healing center that provides necessary medical services for victims of national violence, refugees, sexual minorities who are excluded from medical service, and activists who work for them.
English Translation: 지니
Translation review: Juyeon
Writer of the original text: Miguel
Review and amendments to the original text: 레이, 지니
웹·SNS 게시: 에스텔
References (available in Korean)
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