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Table 3 Timeline of the Korean Government’s Policy Actions in Support of Medical Tourism

From: A bilingual systematic review of South Korean medical tourism: a need to rethink policy and priorities for public health?

Year

Description

Nov 2005

Korean government formed a task force with the objective of attraction of foreign patients

Jan 2009

• Revised the medical law: introducing, arranging, and inviting foreign patients became legal

• Attracting foreign patients was selected as a specific task

• Designating the Global health care business as one of 17 new growth engine industries.

• Registration Act for Foreign Patient Registration (Article 27–2 of the Medical Law)” was passed

May 2009

Implementing registration system of medical institutions

Issued medical visa (M visa) for medical tourists

Nov 2009

Developing “Smart Korea, Medical Korea” as a national medical brand

July 2011

Developing malpractice insurance policy for a medical institution

Dec 2011

Allowing physicians and dentists to dispense medicines

May 2013

Designating medical tourism industry as one of 140 national tasks

Nov 2013

Establishing medical tourism hotel business

Sep 2014

Allowing hospital facility to enter medical tourism hotels

July, 2016

“Act on Support for Overseas Expansion of Healthcare System and Attraction of International Patients” enacted

March 2017

“1st Comprehensive Plan to Support Overseas Expansion of the Healthcare System and Attraction of International Patients”

May 2018

“Enforcement plan to Support Overseas Expansion of Healthcare System and Attraction of International Patients 2018”

  1. Source: Statistics on International Patients in Korea (KHIDI 2018)