Extended First Medical Examination Period

The first medical examination period will be extended from current 30 days to 90 days from next year. Thus, the newly introduced system will lessen the burdens of the patients who have to pay the expensive first examination fee in case that they receive the medical examination on the same diseases after a month. Currently, the first medical examination fee is 8,400 won which is more expensive by 58.5 percent (3,100 won) than the second examination fee 5,300 won.

The Office for Government Policy Coordination declared that it reviewed 364 cases of peoples` complains collected in the first half of this year, and decided to establish the reform measures for 248 cases including the extension of the first medical examination period.

And the government will revise `the enforcement regulation on the trash disposal fee`, which will allow the supermarkets to sell the disposal sticker for disposal of the large-size wastes such as laundry machine and refrigerator. Thus far, the disposal stickers have been sold only in the town office.

A governmental official told that ``some local governments have executed this system as a model. By the revision of the enforcement regulation, this system will be spread to the whole country.``

The government decided to actively review the plan that the prosecutor office adopts the `night attendance examination system`, which has been executed only by police. The `night attendance examination system` refers to the system that allows a witness or an alibi, working at daytime, to receive the examination at night time without hindrance of living activities.

Besides, the government decided to review the plan to expand the `remote examination system`, which allows a witness or a reference for an investigation through fax, mail, internet etc, without attending the investigation offices.

Boo Hyung-Kwon bookum90@donga.com