The Embassy of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in Beijing announced on Monday that 1,073 visas for medical tourism were issued in 2011, a 386 percent increase from a year earlier, chinanews.com reported.

Among the 1,073 visitors, many made the trip for cosmetic surgery. South Korea is attracting medical tourists from China with its short distance and advanced technology, ROK's Yonhap News Agency reported.

Total Chinese visitors to ROK reached 2.05 million in 2011, a 23.6 percent increase from 2010.