The number of fraudulent health insurance claims by foreign nationals and overseas Koreans increased by 30% in 2024.
Data from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) has revealed that 17,087 individuals were involved in fraudulent claims in 2024, up 16.8% from 14,630 in 2023. After a decline in fraudulent cases over the past two years, from 40,265 in 2021 to 18,491 in 2022 and 14,630 in 2023, the numbers have again increased, with most cases involving individuals who continued to use health insurance benefits after losing their eligibility. Authorities reported 45,909 cases of fraud in 2024, a 14.7% increase from 40,020 cases in 2023. The total amount of fraud reached KRW2.56bn($1.82m) in 2024, up 28.5% from the previous year.
Chinese nationals topped the list with 12,033 cases, followed by US nationals with 679 cases and Vietnamese nationals with 605 cases.