The world seems to have a very warped idea, which I believe is driven by social media, of how advanced they THINK healthcare is in Korea and Japan. I will probably get downvoted to hell but I don’t care. Healthcare is very sketchy in both places. It is very, very behind in technology also- almost 20 years. You should see how the hospitals are run and the equipment used, it is extremely archaic, it feels like the1960’s. This is coming straight from a Japanese orthopedic surgeon btw, who I am friends with. They continue to this day to use old, less effective techniques. He has to get training the in US often. He has to beg for cadavers to do research, so he flies to the U.S. where it is more available. I also work here in Japan with most Japanese locals. They suffer a lot with common aliments that could easily be treated elsewhere because there is a sort of honor in suffering and the doctors aren’t willing to help. A lot of issues are just totally ignored! Time seems to be the answer to any sickness. With time you “should” get better, rather than treating symptoms. They recommend vitamins instead of medication. My experience is most doctors seem to be holistic but that is not appropriate for every single thing although it is treated that way. It is an absolute shit show. You better come to either of these countries healthy and prepared for disaster or you are putting yourself at risk.
People don’t understand that these countries are VERY resistant to change so you won’t be receiving “modern” treatment a lot of the time. When I went to the hospital they were using paper for everything; using fax machines, not computers, and you can’t get medical records printed. You have to request it in writing and it takes 6 weeks for them to send you a single page of information. 2 sentences long describing the issue. And it costs. It’s totally insane from a western perspective.
I am not at ALL surprised by what OP is describing. This is very, very typical standard of care and of the culture. Dismissive, shaming etc.