Actual statistics from "The World Health Report 2000 - Health systems: Improving performance."  The U. S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks #37 out of 191 countries according to its performance. However, the US ranks #1 in health expenditure per capita;  while South Korea ranks 58th in the overall health system performance.  

The Korean culture is very health focused (they boast one of the lowest heart disease rates, lowest obesity rates, and one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world). Korean Hospitals are state of the art and as modern as some of the best hospitalls in the US or the EU. Perhaps the most interesting thing going on in Korea though is the advancement being made in the area of Stem Cell research.

 The popularity of medical tourism in Korea has helped it to quickly become an important industry throughout the country. This popularity began with the influx of Japanese medical tourists visiting Korea for its high quality, yet less expensive, medical services (especially for cosmetic surgeries such as "double eyelid" surgery).
Now, Korea is gaining recognition from all over the world for its highly advanced healthcare technology and procedures with relatively cheaper costs. For example, comprehensive health screenings in Korea are generally one fifth of the cost of the equivalent screenings in the US. Korea offers specialized healthcare in fields such as: cancer treatment, organ transplantation, joint/rheumatism care, spinal treatment, comprehensive health screening, dental care, plastic surgery, infertility treatments, opthamology, otorhinolaryngology, and traditional Korean medicines.
Healthcare in Korea is regulated by the Ministry for Health, Welfare, and Family Affairs. The Ministry works together with the Council for Korea Medicine Overseas Promotion to provide top-quality healthcare to all patients from around the world. Having attained the Ministry's stringent hospital accreditation, Korea's Severance Hospital has also achieved JCI accreditation and has become the world's largest JCI accredited hospital.
From a traveler's point of view, Korea, as a country, is safe, clean, modern, and has a more temperate climate than most southeast Asian countries. Travel to Korea is straightforward, with multiple carriers offering non-stop flights from major cities in the US and Canada.