Gyeonggi Province Launches First Medical Support Program for North Korean Defectors
Medical Services Provided for Defectors with Household Income at or Below 100% of Median Income
Up to 2 Million Won for Dental Treatment and Additional Exams Linked to National Health Checkups
Gyeonggi Province announced on June 2 that it will implement the "Medical Support Program for North Korean Defectors" to help North Korean defectors lead healthy lives and settle stably in the local community.
This measure aims to alleviate the financial difficulties of North Korean defectors who have had to postpone medical treatment due to the burden of medical expenses, and to provide them with practical medical benefits.
The program is available to North Korean defectors residing in Gyeonggi Province whose household income is at or below 100% of the median income. Anyone who meets this requirement is eligible for support.
The support includes dental treatment and additional examinations linked to the national health checkup program. For dentures, up to 1 million won is provided over a lifetime, and for implants, up to 2 million won is provided for a maximum of two implants over a lifetime. In addition, for dental prosthetics and other dental treatments, up to 1 million won per year is provided. The program also covers additional examinations linked to the national health checkup and supports medical expenses based on checkup results, enabling early detection of diseases and connection to treatment.
Medical support under this program is provided at hospitals affiliated with Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center, and applications can be submitted at Hana Centers located throughout the province.
Lee Hyungeun, Director of the Peace Foundation Division of Gyeonggi Province, said, "We hope that North Korean defectors in the medical blind spot will no longer have to delay treatment for economic reasons and will be able to lead healthy daily lives. We will continue to develop and implement various customized policies to ensure that North Korean defectors are not marginalized in the local community and can become self-reliant."
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