What kinds of national health screening exist in Korea?
General screening runs every two years, or annually for non-office workers. Cancer screening sets its own age range and interval for each cancer.
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National health screening has two main tracks — general health screening and national cancer screening — plus separate programs for infants and students.
General screening — two different intervals
Article 25(1) of the Enforcement Decree sets once every two years as the rule, but once a year for employee-insured people not in office roles. “Office role” follows the definition in the Enforcement Rule of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Those on the two-year cycle are screened in even years if their birth year ends in an even digit, odd years if odd. Age-specific add-on tests run in the year you reach that age, independent of the odd-even rule.
| Who | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Employee-insured | Everyone, no age limit |
| Head of a locally-insured household | Everyone, no age limit |
| Other household members and dependents | 20 and over |
| Medical Aid recipients | 20 to 64 (66 and over use a separate transitional program) |
There is no co-payment. Article 12 of the Health Screening Implementation Standard puts the full cost on NHIS for the insured, and on national and local government for Medical Aid recipients. One exception: hepatitis C confirmatory testing carries a patient charge and needs a separate reimbursement claim.
Lung function testing (ages 56 and 66) was added in 2026.
Cancer screening — six cancers, each on its own schedule
Schedule 1 of the Enforcement Decree of the Cancer Control Act governs this. It was last amended in 2019, and neither the ages nor the intervals have changed since.
| Cancer | Interval | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Stomach | 2 years | Age 40+ |
| Liver | 6 months | Age 40+, high risk |
| Colorectal | 1 year | Age 50+ |
| Breast | 2 years | Women 40+ |
| Cervical | 2 years | Women 20+ |
| Lung | 2 years | Ages 54 to 74, high risk |
The high-risk definitions are also in the law.
- Liver: cirrhosis, hepatitis B surface antigen positive, hepatitis C antibody positive, or chronic liver disease from hepatitis B or C
- Lung: 30 pack-years or more (packs per day × years smoked) and a current smoker. Someone screened as high risk stays eligible for 15 years after quitting, up to age 74
Colorectal screening has no upper age limit and the shortest interval at one year. Cervical screening starts earliest, at 20.
What cancer screening costs
| Bracket | Patient pays |
|---|---|
| Upper 50% by insurance premium | 10% |
| But cervical and colorectal | Nothing — NHIS pays in full regardless of income |
| Lower 50% by insurance premium | Nothing |
| Medical Aid recipients | Nothing |
The threshold for the lower 50 percent is announced each year. For 2025 it was a monthly premium of 127,500 won or less for the employee-insured and 57,000 won for the locally-insured. The 2026 threshold had not been published when this entry was written.
Some costs sit outside the program: sedation and H. pylori testing during gastroscopy, a colonoscopy taken without the fecal occult blood test first (paid in full), and sedation or polyp removal during the second-stage colonoscopy.
Other national screening
Infant screening runs eight times between 14 days and 66 months, with four separate oral exams. Student screening covers grades 1 and 4 of elementary school and the first year of middle and high school. Both are free.
The transitional life-stage examination at ages 40 and 66 no longer exists — it ran from 2007 to 2017 and was folded into general screening in 2018. A separate transitional program remains for Medical Aid recipients aged 66 and over.
Checking your eligibility
On the NHIS site, go to Health Moa → My Health → Screening eligibility, verify your identity, and you can view and print a certificate of eligibility. The mobile app “The건강보험” offers the same lookup.
The screening year runs 1 January to 31 December. If you missed last year you can ask NHIS to add you to this year’s list, but the cost split for cancer screening may change in that case.
Sources: National Health Insurance Act Article 52 and Enforcement Decree Article 25; Health Screening Implementation Standard (MOHW Notice 2026-6); Enforcement Decree of the Cancer Control Act Article 8 and Schedule 1; Cancer Screening Implementation Standard (Notice 2025-220). Last checked 2026-08-30.
Frequently asked questions
Is the interval two years or one?
Two years as a rule. Employee-insured people in non-office roles are screened annually — Article 25(1) of the Enforcement Decree of the National Health Insurance Act.
How do I know if this is my year?
On the two-year cycle, an even final digit in your birth year means even years, odd means odd years. You can confirm your eligibility on the NHIS website under Health Moa.
Do I pay for it?
General screening is free. NHIS covers the full cost for the insured and their dependents; national and local government cover Medical Aid recipients. Cancer screening depends on the cancer and your income bracket.