[2025 Audit] "Difficult to Crack Down on Illegal 'Samu-jang Hospitals'... Urgent Need to Introduce Special Judicial Police for NHIS"

President Jung Ki-seok: "The National Health Insurance Service Must Directly Investigate Cases of Financial Losses"

Jung Ki-seok, President of the National Health Insurance Service, emphasized the urgent need to introduce a special judicial police system (Special Judicial Police) within the organization to crack down on illegally established medical institutions, commonly known as "office manager hospitals."

Jung Ki-seok, President of the National Health Insurance Service, is reporting on business operations at the 2025 National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's audit of the National Health Insurance Service and the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service held on the 17th. 2025.10.17 Photo by Kim Hyun-min

On October 17, during the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's audit, President Jung responded to a question from Kim Namhee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, regarding the necessity of introducing the Special Judicial Police system. He stated, "This is included in the current government's national agenda, and I believe the National Health Insurance Service should expedite the introduction of the Special Judicial Police system as soon as possible."

The Special Judicial Police system within the National Health Insurance Service would grant investigative authority to the organization's employees, enabling them to directly investigate cases such as office manager hospitals and fraudulent claims for medical benefits that cause financial leakage from the health insurance fund. The organization believes that if its internal medical and insurance experts are dedicated to handling these cases, investigations can be conducted more swiftly and professionally.

Assemblywoman Kim revealed that in June 2023, the National Health Insurance Service investigated a case in which Hospital Director A used family members, including his wife and her younger sibling, who is a physician, to establish multiple hospitals under overlapping registrations, and subsequently requested a police investigation. The total amount of medical benefits claimed by these hospitals exceeded 1 trillion won, and the family-owned intermediary supply company generated enormous profits through exclusive transactions.

In relation to this, President Jung explained, "Incidents like these occur every few years, but in reality, once investigations begin, they often drag on for a long time and end with no charges being filed."

President Jung continued, "Due to the lack of investigative will from the police, the average investigation period exceeds one year, during which evidence is often destroyed, undermining effectiveness. If the police apply the same standards to general economic crimes and medical crimes, it is difficult to conduct specialized investigations. Therefore, the National Health Insurance Service itself must be granted investigative authority."

Assemblywoman Kim stressed, "The introduction of the Special Judicial Police system is the minimum safeguard for ensuring the soundness of the National Health Insurance Service," and urged, "The government and the National Assembly must cooperate on the bill currently pending in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee."

Seo Mihwa, another member of the Democratic Party of Korea, also emphasized, "Although the necessity of establishing the Special Judicial Police has already been highlighted, there are still many cases of repeated involvement in the illegal establishment of medical institutions. As discussions are ongoing in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the Ministry of Health and Welfare should work with the National Health Insurance Service to introduce the Special Judicial Police system, adding investigative authority to the organization's investigative expertise."