South Korea Endoscopy Devices - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

South Korea Endoscopy Devices Market Analysis

The South Korean endoscopy devices market size is USD 1.18 billion in 2025 and is forecast to register USD 1.64 billion by 2030, expanding at a 6.73% CAGR. This momentum is fueled by the country’s rapidly ageing population, a high burden of gastrointestinal malignancies and the swift uptake of artificial-intelligence-enabled platforms that deliver ≥95% lesion-detection sensitivity and specificity. Rising procedure volumes under the National Cancer Screening Program, widening reimbursement for complex therapies such as endoscopic submucosal dissection and the growth of ambulatory surgery centres (ASCs) are reinforcing demand. Parallel government policies—including the Digital Medical Products Act (January 2025) and the 1st Master Plan for Fostering and Supporting the Medical Device Industry—are catalysing domestic production and export capacity, while AI-driven decision support systems shorten procedure time and raise diagnostic precision. Counterbalancing forces include high upfront equipment costs, complex reprocessing rules and a shortage of skilled endoscopists outside metropolitan hubs, all of which temper adoption in smaller hospitals and clinics.

South Korea Endoscopy Devices Market Trends and Insights

Growing burden of gastrointestinal & oncological disorders

South Korea documented 292,221 new cancer cases in 2024, and the gastric-cancer incidence rate of 27.0 per 100,000 ranked third worldwide. While mortality is falling 4.53% annually, the absolute patient pool rises as the median age climbs beyond 45 years. Biennial esophagogastroduodenoscopy under the National Cancer Screening Program has boosted early-stage detection, lifting 5-year survival to >70% among screened cohorts. Together these epidemiological patterns underpin sustained procedure growth, directly supporting the South Korean endoscopy devices market.

Expansion of National Health Insurance coverage for advanced procedures

Universal health coverage now reimburses high-complexity techniques such as endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer. National registries show a year-on-year increase in ESD since 2018, particularly among patients ≥60 years. Improved affordability propels device demand but reimbursement gaps remain; micro-costing studies reveal National Health Insurance covers only 71.7% of cystoscopy costs at large hospitals, urging policy fine-tuning.

High capital & lifecycle maintenance costs

A multicentre 2024 micro-costing study placed average cystoscopy costs at USD 100.8 in one flagship Seoul hospital and USD 119.2 at a public facility; reimbursement covered only 71.7% and 60.6% respectively, leaving significant unfunded gaps. Maintenance and reprocessing account for nearly half of lifecycle expenses, discouraging smaller clinics from purchasing premium systems and constraining the South Korean endoscopy devices market in resource-limited settings.

Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:

1. Government initiatives to strengthen domestic manufacturing
2. Rising adoption of ambulatory/day-case surgery models
3. Risk of device-related infections and complex reprocessing requirements

For complete list of drivers and restraints, kindly check the Table Of Contents.

Segment Analysis

The endoscopes segment delivered 45% of the South Korean endoscopy devices market share in 2024, anchored by high-volume gastric-cancer screening and the rapid infusion of AI algorithms into conventional video scopes. Visualization systems upgraded to 4K/8K bolster diagnostic confidence in tertiary centres, while operative devices grow steadily on rising therapeutic procedures such as ESD.

Capsule systems are poised for a 14% CAGR through 2030, reflecting patient preference for non-invasive technologies and robust connectivity that streams images in real time. Early pilot data show technical completion rates >90% in small-bowel imaging, prompting payer discussions on broader reimbursement. Robotic-assisted platforms, though nascent, achieved an 86.1% technical success rate in colorectal ESD trials and hold promise for complex resections.

The South Korea Endoscopy Devices Market Report is Segmented by Device Type (Endoscopes [Rigid Endoscopes, and More], Endoscopic Operative Devices [Irrigation/Suction Systems, and More], Visualization Systems, and Components), Application (Gastroenterology, Orthopedic Surgery, Cardiology, and More), End-User (Tertiary & University Hospitals, and More). The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

List of Companies Covered in this Report:

1. Olympus
2. Fujifilm Holdings Corp.
3. HOYA Corporation (PENTAX Medical)
4. Karl Storz
5. Medtronic
6. Boston Scientific
7. Stryker
8. Johnson & Johnson
9. Conmed
10. Richard Wolf
11. Cook Group
12. Sometech
13. Sungyong Meditech
14. Techcord Co., Ltd.
15. Endovision
16. Taewoong Medical
17. Lunit Inc. (AI CADx)

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support