Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Health and Welfare Expand Mandatory Tuberculosis Testing to 35 Countries

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 31st that starting from the 1st of next month, they will expand the list of countries requiring mandatory tuberculosis (TB) testing for foreigners applying for long-term stay visas from the current 19 countries to 35 countries.

The Ministry of Justice explained that to prevent the influx of overseas TB patients into the country, they have additionally designated 16 countries identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as high-risk TB countries.

Furthermore, when foreigners from the 35 high-risk TB countries currently staying in Korea on short-term visas apply to change to long-term stay visas, if multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is confirmed, their stay permits will be restricted. MDR-TB refers to tuberculosis resistant to both isoniazid and rifampin, the most important drugs for TB treatment. The treatment period is at least 18 months, which is longer than the 6 months for general TB treatment, and the treatment success rate is lower, making treatment very difficult.

To this end, drug resistance testing will be mandatory for foreigners suspected of having TB, and patients will be hospitalized for treatment until they are no longer infectious before being deported. The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health and Welfare stated, "We will do our best to block the influx of TB from overseas and to manage TB prevention among foreigners residing in the country to protect public health."