Seoul City Provides Free Comprehensive Health Checkups, Psychological Tests, and Treatment for North Korean Defectors... 200 Applications Received

Expansion of 'Health Management Package Support Project' for North Korean Defectors Aged 14 and Over... Recruitment from 11th to 30th, Examinations in May-June
Providing Differentiated Medical Services Considering Gender and Age Characteristics of North Korean Defectors to Support Healthy Settlement

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City announced on the 10th that it will launch a ‘Health Management Package Support Project’ for North Korean defectors who experience physical and mental difficulties during defection and settlement. It provides free one-stop services from comprehensive health checkups and psychological tests to treatment and management.

Seoul City will first support customized health checkups such as musculoskeletal CT and tuberculosis. Through consultation with preventive medicine specialists, the city has configured different examination items by gender and age group focusing on major diseases frequently found in North Korean defectors. Reflecting the characteristics of North Korean defectors, musculoskeletal CT has been newly introduced, and psychological tests have also been newly included. The psychological tests use a North Korean language psychological test developed with the help of mental health specialists to evaluate and diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and more. If diseases are confirmed through the tests, treatment costs and nursing care expenses can also be supported.

Treatment cost support has also been expanded. Reflecting the opinions of North Korean defectors, the annual support for general diseases per person has been raised from 2 million KRW to 2.5 million KRW. Nursing care expenses up to 1 million KRW and vaccination costs for hepatitis B and human papillomavirus, which have a high risk of vertical transmission, are also supported for the first time this year.

Dental treatment support has been adjusted to provide more assistance for items that North Korean defectors actually spend more on. Support for dental treatments such as prosthetics has been increased from 2.5 million KRW to 3.5 million KRW, while dentures support has been decreased from 4 million KRW to 3 million KRW. Detailed information regarding treatment costs can be obtained through the local adaptation centers.

Seoul City announced that it will recruit 200 North Korean defectors to participate in the ‘Health Management Package Support Project’ from the 11th to the 30th through the local adaptation centers in their residential areas. The target is North Korean defectors aged 14 or older residing in Seoul. The city plans to prioritize those who have not undergone checkups for more than three years and select participants considering center recommendations, health status, urgency, and income level.

The finally selected North Korean defectors will receive checkups at the three centers of the Korea Health Management Association in eastern, western, and Gangnam areas of Seoul during May and June. The city signed an MOU with the Korea Health Management Association, a specialized testing institution, and plans to provide treatment linkage services, chronic disease prevention and management, and support for healthy lifestyle practice programs.

In the second half of the year, Seoul City plans to enable the same checkups at four municipal hospitals currently operating as dedicated COVID-19 hospitals (Seoul Medical Center, Boramae Hospital, Seoul Metropolitan Eastern Hospital, Seoul Metropolitan Western Hospital).

Ki Bong-ho, Acting Director of the Seoul City Office for Inter-Korean Cooperation, said, “We have prepared this health management program by incorporating the voices of healthcare experts and various field opinions to improve the health of over 6,800 North Korean defectors living in Seoul. We hope our medical support project will help North Korean defectors settle healthily and become self-reliant, and we ask for your interest and participation.”