By Kim Jae-heun
The government is seeking to revise the national health insurance system to prevent foreigners from exploiting loopholes of the system and enjoying medical benefits.
Korean residents living abroad are also subject to the revised regulation, which may take effect as early as December.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Thursday, it announced plans to have foreigners stay at least six months in the country to be eligible for health insurance, double the current period of three months. Foreign employees whose companies cover their insurance are not subject to the regulation.
The measure has come as a number of foreigners have been traveling to Korea to take advantage of the national health insurance to get expensive medical treatments with small premiums.
After review by the Ministry of Government Legislation and approval at the Cabinet meeting, the revised rule may take effect in December, according to the ministry.
The government also plans to increase premiums for expats who have been paying comparatively smaller premiums because they had no registered income or property here: Foreign subscribers will have to pay more than the previous year's average premium paid by both locals and foreigners.
Also, those with F-1 or F-2 visas with a stay permit will also have to pay the same amount of premiums as other expats living in Korea.
As there has been no effective way to collect premiums if foreigners fail to pay, the government will give disadvantages in approval for visa extension or re-entry to the country to those who fail to pay their premiums.
The number of foreign residents who voluntarily join the national health insurance system _ excluding those whose companies cover them _ keeps growing, from some 162,200 in 2013 to 290,800 as of this June.