Lexington Books Medical Transnationalism: Korean Immigrants' Medical Tourism to South Korea (Korean Communities across the World)

Medical Transnationalism investigates Korean immigrants’ distinctive healthcare practices, the factors driving their engagement in medical tourism, and their evaluations of these experiences. Drawing on survey data from 507 Korean immigrants and in-depth interviews with 120 individuals in the New York and New Jersey area, Sou Hyun Jang identifies three primary strategies through which Korean immigrants navigate barriers (such as language constraints and limited insurance coverage) to formal U.S. healthcare: reliance on co-ethnic physicians, use of Hanbang (traditional Korean medicine) within the United States, and travel to South Korea for medical treatment. Sou Hyun Jang demonstrates that social transnational ties and health insurance status play decisive roles in shaping the choice to seek care in Korea, with most participants reporting high levels of satisfaction with their medical tourism experiences. By focusing on a single immigrant community, this book offers both empirical depth and theoretical insight, connecting medical transnationalism to broader patterns of immigrant adaptation and cross-border engagement. In addition to advancing scholarship, the findings point to practical implications, including the need for expanded support for vulnerable populations such as small business owners and their employees, as well as improved access to bilingual medical interpretation. Ultimately, the book underscores how transnational perspectives are essential for understanding – and more effectively addressing – the structural inequalities that shape immigrant healthcare experiences.