OBJECTIVES: To measure willingness to pay (WTP) for a QALY in Korea. METHODS: A survey questionnaire based on EQ-5D scenarios was developed to measure QALY improvements in Korea. Double bounded dichotomous choice (DBDC) questions along with an open question were used to elicit WTPs. Each person was asked for four scenarios chosen from 3-item EQ-5D scenarios (<1 QALY) and an additional scenario with live in perfect health for 1 year or die now (=1 QALY). The same WTP questions were also repeated for QALY improvements of a family member instead of self. The questionnaire also included questions on demographics, disease status, and a visual analog scale (VAS) measure of each scenario presented. Consistency of each respondent was checked by matching ranks of five scenarios between WTPs and QALY improvements either by VAS or Korean EQ-5D tariff. Initial bids for DBDC questions were determined by the quintiles of pilot survey WTPs. Survey questions for each study were fine tuned though two focus group interview sessions per study. A general population sample was interviewed face-to-face in 2010. RESULTS: Of the total 1,017 persons surveyed, 933 persons passed consistency test. For those who passed consistency and not in Medical Aids program, WTP for a QALY calculated from the final open questions (after DBDC questions) was 19 million KRW (approximately 16,000 USD). WTP for family member were consistently higher than self. Using DBDC questions seems to have additional benefit of refining open ended questions. These results were higher especially in parametric estimation models using only DBDC questions. This observation cautions us of selecting a specific analytic method may influence the results. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first step toward resolution of controversies around economic evaluations of healthcare in Korea and hopes to encourage more local research on this issue.