Kim's Eye Hospital

What Kim's Eye Hospital does

Kim's Eye Hospital (김안과병원) is a private, single-specialty ophthalmology hospital founded in 1962 in Seoul, South Korea, operating under the Geonyang Medical Foundation (건양의료재단). It is Korea's largest dedicated eye hospital, organized around seven specialized clinical centers — Cornea, Glaucoma, LASIK, Retina (the world's first standalone Retina Hospital, opened 2001), Cataract, Strabismus & Pediatric Ophthalmology, and Oculoplasty — supported by ancillary centers (Eyeglass, Contact Lens, Low Vision, Artificial Eye) and four non-ophthalmology departments (Internal Medicine, Radiology, Laboratory Medicine, Anesthesiology). As of January 2024, the hospital employs approximately 380 staff including 48 ophthalmology specialists and 12 residents, executes 33,845 surgeries and 389,216 outpatient visits annually, and has served over 16 million cumulative patients since founding.

The hospital's technical infrastructure includes advanced diagnostic imaging systems (Heidelberg Anterion Anterior Segment OCT, Sirius Corneal Topography) and a dedicated Eye Health Data Center housing 524GB of clinical database and 35,285GB of imaging data positioned for AI, drug, and medical device research. GTM is sales-led and 100% appointment-based across all departments, with patient access via phone, online portal, KakaoTalk, and a Doctors Hot Line referral service backed by a 43-page network of cooperative hospitals. Revenue is generated primarily through NHI-covered consultations, surgical procedures, and optometric/retail services under a nonprofit medical corporation structure, with non-insured fees publicly disclosed per Korean medical law.

The hospital operates a multi-channel marketing and patient education program (YouTube 20,000+ subscribers, Naver Blog, Facebook, press coverage), an annual academic Symposium (24th edition in August 2026), and international medical tourism programs supported by government designation (since 2012) and partnerships across Japan, Singapore, Mongolia, and the World Association of Eye Hospitals. Recent strategic activity centers on operational restructuring (100% appointment system effective March 2026), international brand building (consecutive Newsweek Asia recognition in 2025 and 2026), and long-term investment in data infrastructure for future AI/digital healthcare applications.

Name

Kim's Eye Hospital

Legal name

KIM'S EYE HOSPITAL

Website

https://kimeye.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kim's Eye Hospital is a Seoul-based, private nonprofit ophthalmology specialty hospital founded in 1962 and Korea's largest dedicated eye hospital, operating seven subspecialty centers, performing 33,845 annual surgeries and 389,216 outpatient visits, and serving a broad general public, pediatric, and international patient base under the Geonyang Medical Foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmology Specialty Hospital Services

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (62132), Offices of Optometrists (621320), Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (62231), Diagnostic Imaging Centers (621512), Hospitals (622)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Hospitals (8060), Ophthalmic Goods (3851), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Ophthalmology Clinics (Medical & Surgical Eye Care) (HLAKAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ophthalmic Specialty Hospitals (HLAFAHAJ), Ambulatory Surgery Centers (Ophthalmic/Outpatient Eye Surgery) (HLAKAKAO), Ocular Imaging & Diagnostic Testing Centers (HLAKAKAN), Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care) (HLAKAKAB), Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF)

Keywords

• Ophthalmology services
• Eye care hospital
• Cataract surgery
• Refractive surgery
• Retina treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Medical Consultation and Treatment Services: Revenue generated from outpatient consultations, diagnostic examinations, and medical treatments across all ophthalmology specialty centers including cornea, glaucoma, retina, cataract, strabismus, and oculoplasty services
2. Surgical Procedures: Revenue from surgical operations including cataract surgery (8,000+ cases annually), cornea transplants, LASIK procedures, retina surgeries, and strabismus correction. Surgery volume reached 33,845 cases in 2024
3. Eyeglass and Contact Lens Center Services: Optometry services including prescription eyeglasses, specialized lenses (prism, high-index, photochromic, myopia control), and contact lens fitting at the Kim Optical Center located in the main building 1st floor

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kim's Eye Hospital is a single-specialty ophthalmology hospital providing comprehensive eye care through seven subspecialty centers: Cornea, Glaucoma, LASIK, Retina, Cataract, Strabismus/Pediatric, and Oculoplasty. It performs 33,845+ surgeries and serves 389,216 outpatients annually, supported by ancillary vision-care centers (eyeglass, contact lens, low vision, and artificial eye) and diagnostic imaging with Heidelberg Anterion OCT and Sirius topography systems.

Product overview

Kim's Eye Hospital operates as a single-specialty ophthalmology hospital offering a coordinated portfolio of specialized eye care services. The core clinical services are organized into seven specialized centers — Cornea Center, Glaucoma Center, LASIK Center, Retina Hospital, Cataract Center, Strabismus & Pediatric Ophthalmology Center, and Oculoplasty Center — each staffed by subspecialist physicians. Supporting the clinical centers, the hospital provides a Comprehensive Ophthalmology Examination service for preventive diagnostics, a Happy Eye Children's Eye Health 1·3·6 public health campaign for pediatric outreach, and ancillary services including a Kim Eyeglass Center (eyeglass dispensing and specialty lenses), a Contact Lens Center, a Low Vision Center, and an Artificial Eye Center. Additionally, non-ophthalmology support departments (Internal Medicine, Radiology, Laboratory Medicine, Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine) are operated to provide holistic patient care. The hospital operates on a 100% appointment-only system across all departments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Comprehensive Ophthalmology Examination (안과종합검진)
• Kim Eyeglass Center (김안경센터)
• Contact Lens Center (콘택트렌즈센터)
• Low Vision Center (저시력센터)
• Artificial Eye Center (의안센터)
• Happy Eye Children's Eye Health 1·3·6 Campaign (해피아이 눈 건강 1·3·6)

Quantifiable outcome

• 389,216 annual outpatient visits and 1,600만+ cumulative patients since 1962
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2012Official partner for golf events, providing eye health services and promoting sports vision care among professional golfers.
• Singapore National Eye HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2010Strategic partnership with Singapore's national eye hospital for medical knowledge exchange and collaborative research in ophthalmology subspecialties.
• Heart-Heart Foundation (하트-하트 재단)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2009Social contribution partnership for providing free eye care services to underprivileged populations through joint community outreach programs.
• Japan Tategi Memorial Eye HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2007International cooperation hospital for knowledge exchange and medical collaboration in ophthalmology. Established partnership for sharing expertise in eye care treatment and research between leading eye hospitals in East Asia.
• Mongolia Orbit Eye HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2006Partnership for ophthalmology knowledge transfer and medical cooperation with Mongolian eye hospital, including overseas medical missions.
• WAEH (World Association of Eye Hospitals)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember hospital of the global network of leading eye hospitals, enabling international collaboration, research exchange, and best practice sharing among world-class ophthalmology institutions.
• Konyang UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership through Geonyang Medical Foundation, enabling medical education, research collaboration, and talent development between the hospital and university system.
• Konyang University HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated teaching hospital within the Konyang University healthcare system, supporting comprehensive medical care and clinical education.
• Korean Foundation for the Prevention of Blindness (한국실명예방재단)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for pediatric ophthalmology screening in underserved regions, providing specialist support and promoting childhood eye health awareness through the Happy Eye 1-3-6 campaign.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC): Singapore's national specialty eye hospital and an existing strategic partner of Kim's Eye Hospital through WAEH and bilateral cooperation. Comparable scale, subspecialty center structure, and clinical research capabilities make it the most relevant international peer for cross-border patient referrals and benchmarking.
• Bascom Palmer Eye Institute: A US top-ranked ophthalmology specialty hospital affiliated with the University of Miami, performing high volumes of complex eye surgeries and clinical research. Comparable subspecialty depth and international reputation make it a peer for benchmarking clinical excellence and research output.
• Wills Eye Hospital: The oldest specialty eye hospital in the United States, operating as a standalone ophthalmology institution similar to Kim's model. Comparable subspecialty center structure, residency training program, and clinical research positioning make it a structural analogue in a mature US market.
• BGN Eye Hospital (BGN Bundang Jesaeng Hospital Ophthalmology): A major Korean specialty eye hospital group operating multiple centers across South Korea, directly competing with Kim's Eye Hospital for ophthalmology patients in the Seoul metropolitan area and beyond. Comparable subspecialty centers and surgical volume make it the most direct domestic peer.
• Aier Eye Hospital Group: China's largest specialty ophthalmology hospital chain with hundreds of centers, competing in the broader Asian market for medical tourism patients. While geographically distinct, Aier represents the scale and chain-aggregation model that Kim's single-site operation is contrasted against in the regional eye care landscape.
• Moorfields Eye Hospital (NHS Foundation Trust): The UK's largest specialist eye hospital and a co-founding member of WAEH alongside other leading eye hospitals globally. Comparable subspecialty depth, research output, and international patient programs make it a structural peer for global benchmarking of specialty eye hospital operations.

Broad incumbents

• Samsung Medical Center (Department of Ophthalmology): One of Korea's premier private tertiary hospitals with a high-volume ophthalmology department performing premium cataract and refractive surgeries. Competes with Kim's for affluent Seoul patients seeking comprehensive hospital-grade eye care under a multi-specialty brand.
• Bumrungrad International Hospital: A leading Southeast Asian medical tourism hospital that competes with Kim's for international patients seeking advanced care in Asia. While multi-specialty, its dedicated international patient services and pricing transparency represent the gold standard that Korean providers are measured against.
• Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (Department of Ophthalmology): A leading Korean tertiary academic medical center with a renowned ophthalmology department. Competes for complex ophthalmology cases and functions as a training hospital, but operates as a multi-specialty general hospital rather than a focused eye specialty provider like Kim's.

Others

• Heidelberg Engineering: German manufacturer of the Anterion Anterior Segment OCT system used by Kim's Eye Hospital for advanced ophthalmic diagnostics. As a key equipment and technology partner, it represents the medtech vendor ecosystem that Kim's depends on for diagnostic differentiation rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/kimeyehospital
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-2mHysKlqbWpFJ6Np-dn9A
• Facebookfacebook.com/kimeyehospital

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kim's Eye Hospital