Foreign students studying in South Korea are now legally required to join the state health insurance system if their stay exceeds six months and this could lead to them paying nearly seven times more for health insurance premiums, reported Yonhap News Agency. Under the revised National Health Insurance Act effective from 16 July, foreign students would need to pay state health insurance premiums amounting to KRW678,000 ($ 571). Currently, most students covered under private health insurance policies only pay around KRW100,000 to KRW110,000 yearly.