Robotic surgery (da Vinci) cost in Korea
In Korean: 로봇수술 (robot susul)
For robotic surgery, Thyroid cancer surgery has a median price of ₩12,000,000 at Korean hospitals (about US$9,050). That is the middle of the prices reported by 67 hospitals, 17 of them in Seoul, to HIRA, the government’s Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, as of 23 October 2026.
Median
₩12,000,000
US$9,050
Average
₩12,444,155
US$9,385
Lowest
₩4,000,000
US$3,017
Highest
₩25,000,000
US$18,854
Median: half of hospitals charge less, half more. Lowest and highest are single hospitals and can include unusual cases.
Robotic surgery (da Vinci) prices by type
| Type | Median | Average | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thyroid cancer surgery갑상선암 근치수술 | ₩12,000,000 | ₩12,444,155 | ₩4,000,000 – ₩25,000,000 | 67 |
| Thyroid surgery (benign)갑상선 수술 (양성) | ₩11,000,000 | ₩11,319,885 | ₩1,000,000 – ₩24,000,000 | 75 |
| Prostatectomy전립선적출술 | ₩11,000,000 | ₩11,654,513 | ₩4,000,000 – ₩24,000,000 | 71 |
| Radical prostatectomy with lymph nodes전립선정낭전적출술 | ₩12,000,000 | ₩11,591,053 | ₩4,000,000 – ₩20,000,000 | 56 |
| Partial nephrectomy (kidney)신부분절제술 | ₩12,000,000 | ₩11,850,376 | ₩4,000,000 – ₩24,000,000 | 73 |
| Rectal & sigmoid colon resection직장 및 에스장절제술 | ₩13,000,000 | ₩12,877,820 | ₩4,000,000 – ₩24,000,000 | 69 |
| Gallbladder removal담낭절제술 | ₩9,000,000 | ₩9,460,630 | ₩2,650,000 – ₩24,000,000 | 88 |
| Hysterectomy전자궁적출술 | ₩12,136,000 | ₩12,730,885 | ₩3,000,000 – ₩24,000,000 | 78 |
| Myomectomy (fibroid removal)자궁근종절제술 | ₩12,000,000 | ₩12,119,116 | ₩1,000,000 – ₩24,000,000 | 82 |
| Ovarian/adnexal tumour removal (both sides)부속기종양적출술 | ₩11,500,000 | ₩11,927,718 | ₩1,000,000 – ₩24,000,000 | 74 |
| Other robotic surgery기타 | ₩12,000,000 | ₩12,676,089 | ₩500,000 – ₩50,000,000 | 101 |
Hospitals: how many hospitals reported a price for that type. Prices as reported.
Thyroid cancer surgery by kind of hospital
| Kind of hospital | Median | Average | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tertiary (university) hospitals상급종합 | ₩12,600,000 | ₩12,711,922 | ₩4,000,000 – ₩24,000,000 | 35 |
| General hospitals종합병원 | ₩11,170,000 | ₩11,663,225 | ₩5,000,000 – ₩25,000,000 | 30 |
| Hospitals병원 | ₩20,000,000 | ₩19,000,000 | ₩10,000,000 – ₩25,000,000 | 2 |
University (tertiary) hospitals are the large teaching hospitals such as those of Seoul National, Yonsei and Korea universities. Small clinics (의원) are not in this data — see how to check a clinic’s price.
Thyroid cancer surgery by region
| Region | Median | Average | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul서울 | ₩13,000,000 | ₩14,179,092 | ₩6,960,000 – ₩25,000,000 | 17 |
| Gyeonggi경기 | ₩10,025,000 | ₩10,636,833 | ₩5,000,000 – ₩21,010,000 | 20 |
| Incheon인천 | ₩11,500,000 | ₩12,100,000 | ₩7,000,000 – ₩20,000,000 | 4 |
| Busan부산 | ₩14,000,000 | ₩13,623,429 | ₩7,000,000 – ₩20,000,000 | 4 |
| Daegu대구 | ₩14,000,000 | ₩14,428,571 | ₩8,000,000 – ₩23,000,000 | 5 |
| Daejeon대전 | ₩11,000,000 | ₩11,563,636 | ₩7,500,000 – ₩17,000,000 | 3 |
| Gangwon강원 | ₩12,000,000 | ₩12,600,000 | ₩10,000,000 – ₩18,200,000 | 3 |
| Chungbuk충북 | ₩9,250,000 | ₩9,468,750 | ₩4,000,000 – ₩15,000,000 | 1 |
| Chungnam충남 | ₩13,000,000 | ₩13,000,000 | ₩12,000,000 – ₩14,000,000 | 1 |
| Jeonbuk전북 | ₩10,000,000 | ₩10,000,000 | ₩10,000,000 – ₩10,000,000 | 1 |
| Jeonnam-Gwangju전남광주 | ₩14,000,000 | ₩14,666,667 | ₩13,000,000 – ₩17,000,000 | 2 |
| Gyeongnam경남 | ₩12,000,000 | ₩12,324,074 | ₩5,000,000 – ₩25,000,000 | 6 |
Regions with no reporting hospital are left out. Jeonnam-Gwangju is the merged Gwangju–South Jeolla region (since 1 July 2026).
What it is
Robot-assisted surgery (usually the da Vinci system) lets surgeons operate through small cuts with precise instruments. Korean hospitals use it widely for thyroid, prostate, kidney, colorectal and gynaecological operations.
What the price includes
HIRA lists the extra charge for using the robot, including its disposable instruments. The underlying operation, anaesthesia and hospital stay are charged separately.
Health insurance
For insured patients the operation itself is covered by National Health Insurance, but the robot charge is not. Uninsured patients pay both.
Ask at the hospital
로봇수술 가격이 얼마예요?
How much does it cost? — robot susul gagyeogi eolmayeyo?
Questions
Why is the robot charge so high?
The robot’s instruments are single-use and expensive, and hospitals recover the cost of the machine. The charge is similar across different operations for that reason.
About these numbers
- Source: HIRA non-covered medical fees open data (건강보험심사평가원 비급여진료비정보), items QZ9660402, QZ9660401, QZ9660801, QZ9660802, QZ9660701, QZ9660601 and others, updated 23 October 2026.
- Covers hospitals (병원급: university, general, dental, Korean medicine and other hospitals). Small clinics (의원) report to HIRA too but are not in the open data; their prices can be lower or higher.
- Median, average, lowest and highest are HIRA’s own figures. Hospital counts are the number of hospitals listed for each item.
- US$ amounts are rough conversions at ₩1,326 = US$1 (22 Oct 2026). Your card or exchange rate will differ.
- Prices are what hospitals report, not quotes. Always ask the hospital for a written estimate.