A carotid ultrasound measures plaque and narrowing in the two arteries in your neck that supply the brain, which is the most direct stroke-risk measurement a screening program contains. It takes about fifteen minutes, uses no radiation and needs no preparation.
Both sides of the neck, lying down.
Sound waves only.
MediOne's published non-covered price, ≈₩80,000.
KMI's domestic Carnation program, ≈₩900,000. Hanaro includes it from Silver and MediOne from its Heart program.
One week is the earliest an imaging slot can be held, and there is no referral step before it.
English report in your hands in about a week. You also get a consultation on preliminary findings on the day of the screening, before you leave.
Programme contents and prices from each partner centre's own foreigner-facing published list, read 2026-08-05: KMI Global, Hanaro Medical Foundation's English site and MediOne's English site. Standalone per-test prices are MediOne's 비급여 (non-covered) posting, the itemised list 의료법 제45조 requires a clinic to publish, read the same day. Scheduling and report turnaround are Meridiko's own operating figures, confirmed 2026-08-06, not a centre's published ones (https://global.kmi.or.kr/examination/foreigner_examination; https://en-mobile.hanaromf.com/program/prog01/prog01_01.jsp; https://en.medionemedicalcenter.com/m1; https://medionemedicalcenter.com/115), measured 2026-08-05.
Plaque thickness and the degree of narrowing in the carotid arteries, plus blood-flow velocity. Narrowing found here is one of the few screening results with a clear, established action attached to it.
It looks at two arteries in the neck and says nothing directly about the arteries inside the skull or in the heart. A clear carotid scan is not a clear cardiovascular system.
Suits: Adults over 45, anyone with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or a smoking history, and anyone with a family history of stroke. It is also the sensible first vascular test if you are choosing only one.
Should not have it: Nobody on safety grounds. It is the least invasive test in any program.
A carotid ultrasound looks at the vessels feeding the brain from outside the skull. A brain MRA looks at the vessels inside it. The carotid scan is cheaper, faster and radiation-free; the MRA sees aneurysms and intracranial narrowing the carotid scan cannot reach.
Included from the Comprehensive tier upward on this site, and separately from Hanaro's Silver program and MediOne's Heart program. MediOne prices it standalone at ≈₩80,000.
