Koreans Can Also Receive Medical Treatment in Foreign Hospitals

Koreans can receive medical treatment without restrictions in foreign hospitals in Free Economic Zones, including Incheon, Busan-Jinhae of South Gyeonsang Province and Gwangyang Bay area of South Jeolla Province.

The Ministry of Finance and Economy announced on January 2 that the revision of the Free Economic Zone law was passed as the government proposed in the plenary session of the National Assembly on December 31 of last year, and therefore the law will take effect from April this year, after the revision of an Enforcement Ordinance.

According to the revision, Korean people can also receive medical treatment in foreign hospitals in the Free Economic Zones. As two American hospitals are scheduled to open in 2008 in the Incheon Free Economic Zone, Koreans are able to receive treatment from then.

The government is planning to permit just one or two foreign hospitals per Free Economic Zone for the moment, to minimize the effects on the domestic medical industry.

The government expects a long-term effect of absorbing demand for those who go abroad to seek medical treatment, and the improvement of the domestic medical industry through exchanges between domestic and foreign medical personnel.

Chi-Young Shin higgledy@donga.com