KOREAN HEALTHCARE PAPERWORK
Korean healthcare paperwork: choose your next step
Move from understanding a Korean report to preparing the right documents. Ask the receiving institution about its requirements first, then check issuance with the hospital in Korea.
I need my test results in English.
Use 10 bilingual questions to check documents, English availability, fees and timing.
I am preparing records for care abroad.
Ask the receiving institution what it needs, then prepare reports, images and records.
I want to organize test details.
Use the glossary and existing log to keep names, dates, units and reference ranges together.
This guide does not accept personal records, translate individual medical documents or guarantee document acceptance. Keep completed records privately.
Have a health screening report from Korea and need to discuss it in English? Keep the test name, result, unit, laboratory reference range and date together. This guide maps a few common Korean terms to English and connects them with fuller explanations. You do not need to upload or enter health results here.
Five things to check
- Find the test date, provider and any previous result.
- Copy the test name and unit with the number.
- Read the laboratory reference interval; it is not necessarily a personal diagnostic or treatment threshold.
- Note whether you fasted, medicines and symptoms that may matter.
- Bring the original report to a clinician if a flag is unclear or a value has changed.
Common terms on a Korean report
| Korean | English | Check alongside the value |
|---|---|---|
| 혈압 | Blood pressure | Systolic and diastolic values, measurement conditions, mmHg |
| 공복혈당 | Fasting blood glucose / fasting plasma glucose | Whether you actually fasted and the unit, often mg/dL |
| 당화혈색소 (HbA1c) | Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) | If tested, the reported percentage and date |
| 혈청 크레아티닌 | Serum creatinine | Not urine creatinine; check the unit |
| 추정 사구체여과율 (eGFR) | Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) | Unit, change over time and urine testing |
| 키·체중·체질량지수 | Height, weight, body mass index (BMI) | Check cm, kg and kg/m²; body size alone is not a diagnosis. |
| 허리둘레 | Waist circumference | Check cm and how and where it was measured. |
| 혈색소 (Hb, Hgb) | Hemoglobin | Often g/dL. This is not hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). |
| 총콜레스테롤 | Total cholesterol | If lipids were tested, read it with LDL, HDL and triglycerides. |
| LDL 콜레스테롤 | LDL cholesterol | Check whether it was calculated or measured directly. |
| HDL 콜레스테롤 | HDL cholesterol | One part of overall cardiovascular risk. |
| 중성지방 (TG) | Triglycerides | Check preparation, any fasting instruction and the unit, often mg/dL. |
| AST (GOT)·ALT (GPT)·GGT (γ-GTP) | AST, ALT and GGT liver enzymes | One enzyme value does not identify a specific cause. |
| 요단백 | Urine protein | Often a urine strip result, different from quantitative urine ACR. |
| 소변 알부민·크레아티닌 비율 (별도 검사 시) | Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR/UACR) | Do not assume it is included in every general checkup. Check mg/g or other units. |
| 흉부 영상 | Chest X-ray / chest radiograph | Check whether it was done and read the formal report. This page does not interpret images. |
Items and wording vary by screening program, age, provider and laboratory. This is a selective glossary, not a full translation of every report field. Choosing English does not determine which country’s clinical criteria apply.
National screening versus a private checkup
Korea’s general national screening has common items and age-specific additions. A lipid panel is not performed for everyone every year. Read HbA1c, urine ACR or extra imaging only if your own report lists them; they may be separately ordered. Cancer screening follows its own program and formal reporting process. Check your current eligibility, schedule and actual tests with NHIS or the provider.
How to explain a result in English
Translate the test name together with its sample, unit and conditions. For example: “My fasting blood glucose was reported in mg/dL; I fasted as instructed.” Or: “This was a urine protein dipstick result, not a urine ACR.” Show the original report rather than relying on an approximate translation of its number or flag.
If a result is marked “normal” or “abnormal”
A laboratory reference interval, a diagnostic criterion and a personal treatment goal serve different purposes. One out-of-range result does not establish a disease; an in-range result does not settle persistent symptoms or prior concerns. Be careful comparing different laboratories, methods and units. Ask a clinician whether and when confirmation or follow-up is needed.
Check the NHIS adult and youth multilingual checkup forms and Korea’s official screening standard, while relying on your actual report for its terms. The reading principles were compared with the US National Library of Medicine lab result guide.
Read more about a result
- Fasting glucose and HbA1c
- Creatinine and eGFR
- How eGFR and CrCl differ
- Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides
- AST, ALT and GGT liver enzymes
- Hemoglobin and anemia clues
- Urine protein versus urine ACR
Choose only the tests listed on your own report, then record dates, units, conditions and questions in the blank logs.
Questions for a clinical visit
- Is this a meaningful change from my earlier report?
- How does the laboratory range differ from the decision criteria relevant to me?
- If another test or visit is needed, why and when?
Prepare Korean records for care abroad
- Ask the receiving institution about document types, dates, languages, file formats and the approved submission route. Check any translation certification or notarization requirements.
- Ask the hospital in Korea about English-language availability, requester requirements, fees, processing time and collection. Confirm imaging files and written reports separately.
- Check name spelling, dates, pages and attachments, then confirm receipt and completeness with the receiving institution.
Bilingual questions and a blank checklist
- Blood pressure and lab results log
- Medication and supplement list
- Symptom timeline and visit questions
- All health records and visit preparation tools
When units differ, use the glucose unit converter or cholesterol unit converteronly as an aid. Preserve original values, units and reference ranges; do not use converted values to establish a diagnosis or treatment target.
Paperwork guidance checked: 2026-10-03. Issuance and acceptance requirements vary by institution.
Official source and scope
The Korean National Health Insurance Service provides multilingual adult and youth checkup forms and describes the program in its English health promotion guide. Check current program details with NHIS and rely on your own report for its items and units.
This is general information, not individual report interpretation or a substitute for medical care. The original laboratory report and your clinician’s advice take priority. No independent medical specialist review was performed. Editorial check: September 27, 2026.