Data from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) revealed that the country's national health insurance system recorded a surplus of KRW1.01tn ($763m) from foreign subscribers in 2025.
This is the first time in the country’s history that the annual surplus has exceeded KRW1tn. The amount rose from KRW943.9bn in 2024 and is the ninth consecutive annual surplus since 2017. The NHIS collected KRW2.54tn in premiums from foreign nationals in 2025, while paying out KRW1.52tn in medical benefits.
The NHIS reported surpluses of KRW160.1bn for Vietnamese subscribers, KRW126.2bn for Nepalese subscribers and KRW91.8bn for Indonesian subscribers, whereas Chinese subscribers recorded a deficit of KRW40.9bn in 2025, reversing a KRW5.5bn surplus in 2024. Chinese subscribers paid KRW956.4bn but received KRW997.3bn in benefits.
Over the years, the government has updated its health insurance regulations for foreign residents to prevent improper claims and secure the system's financial stability. Under these rules, foreigners residing in South Korea for six months or longer are generally required to enrol in the NHIS programme and pay regular premiums.
The government made a change to the scheme in April 2024, requiring foreign nationals seeking coverage as dependents of enrolled employees to have lived in Korea for at least six months, in principle.
The South Korean government introduced this policy to combat health insurance hit-and-runs—a practice where foreign relatives register as dependents, receive medical treatment, and promptly exit the country.