Origins and principles
Korea's general health screening grew from 1950s worker checkups into a program for nearly all adults (Shin et al., 2022). Cancer screening began in 1999 for Medical Aid recipients and covered six cancers by 2019 (Lee et al., 2025). Choosing what to screen for still follows the 1968 WHO Wilson–Jungner principles: the disease should be important, early treatment should help, and the test should be safe and acceptable (Andermann et al., 2008).
What the general checkup covers
Eligible: insured employees, household heads, dependents and household members aged 20 and over. It runs every two years by birth year (yearly for manual workers) and is fully covered. Core tests include body measurements, vision, hearing, blood pressure, chest X-ray, blood and urine tests and an oral exam. Extras by age include lipids, hepatitis B at 40 and C at 56, bone density for women at 54, 60 and 66, and cognitive screening from 66. Since 2025, people aged 20–34 complete depression and early-psychosis questionnaires every two years.
Cancer screening and limits
- Stomach from 40 every 2 years by gastroscopy; colorectal from 50 yearly by stool test, then colonoscopy if positive; liver every 6 months for high-risk adults; breast from 40; cervical from 20; lung at 54–74 for heavy smokers by low-dose CT.
- Patients usually pay 10%; cervical and colorectal are free, as is screening for the lowest-premium half and Medical Aid recipients.
- A Cochrane review found general checks alone do little for mortality (Krogsbøll et al., 2019): the value comes from acting on results.
This article is general health information and is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment. If symptoms persist, see a doctor.
FAQ
- I missed last year's checkup. Can I still go?
- Yes. Ask the NHIS to add you to this year's list.
- Where can employees get screened?
- At any NHIS-designated clinic; your employer is also notified of eligibility.
Sources reviewed: 2026-11-09
References
- 국민건강보험공단. (n.d.). 일반건강검진 실시안내. NHIS page listing eligibility, core tests and age-specific tests for the general health screening.
- 국민건강보험공단. (n.d.). 암검진 제도소개. NHIS overview of the six national cancer screenings, intervals and cost-sharing.
- 질병관리청 국가건강정보포털. (2026). 건강검진(국가건강검진). KDCA health portal explaining what each screening test measures.
- 보건복지부. (2024. 10. 17.). 청년층 정신건강검진 확대: 2024년 제3차 국가건강검진위원회 개최. Ministry press release expanding mental health screening for ages 20–34 to every two years.
- Shin, D. W., Cho, J., Park, J. H., & Cho, B. (2022). National General Health Screening Program in Korea: History, current status, and future direction. Precision and Future Medicine, 6(1), 9–31. Review of the Korean general health screening program from 1950s worker checkups to today.
- Lee, K., Suh, M., & Choi, K. S. (2025). Current status of the National Cancer Screening Program in Korea: History, achievements, and future directions. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 58(4), 337–347. Traces Korea's national cancer screening from 1999 to six cancers by 2019.
- Andermann, A., Blancquaert, I., Beauchamp, S., & Déry, V. (2008). Revisiting Wilson and Jungner in the genomic age: A review of screening criteria over the past 40 years. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 86(4), 317–319. Revisits the 1968 Wilson–Jungner screening principles published by WHO.
- Krogsbøll, L. T., Jørgensen, K. J., & Gøtzsche, P. C. (2019). General health checks in adults for reducing morbidity and mortality from disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019(1), CD009009. Cochrane review finding little evidence that general health checks reduce mortality.