Foreigners and Korean nationals residing abroad must stay in the country for more than 6 months before they can register for health insurance starting from Tuesday.
To avoid foreign patients that leave the country once they have benefited from health insurance for expensive medical treatment, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has extended the period of stay required for the insurance by three more months.
People who stay abroad for more than 30 days must wait six months from their entry date in Korea.
This new regulation applies to those who enter the country from now on.