Foreign COVID-19 Patients in Korea to be Told to Pay for Hospitalization and Treatment

Prime Minister Chung Se-kyun remarked on July 26 that foreign COVID-19 patients in South Korea would have to bear their costs of hospitalization and treatment at least in part based on the principle of diplomatic reciprocity.

“The number of such patients is continuing to increase and the situation can pose a significant burden on South Korea’s medical systems,” he said, telling the Ministry of Health and Welfare to revise the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act without delay.

On July 25, the number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in South Korea exceeded 100 for the first time since April 1. Approximately 80 percent of them are those who entered from abroad, including South Korean workers who returned from Iraq and Russian ship crew members.

At present, the South Korean government is subsidizing testing for patients who require COVID-19 testing epidemiologically. In the case of confirmed infection, the national health insurance and the central and local governments cover 80 percent and 20 percent of the treatment cost in accordance with the act, respectively.