Time now for our "Life & Info" segment... where we focus on information useful for your everyday life.
Starting in July, the South Korean government will require all foreigners staying in Korea for six months or longer to sign up for the national health insurance program.
Park Se-young has more.
To prevent the free-riding of health care services, foreigners living in Korea for six months or longer without an employer insurance plan …will be required to enroll in the country's health insurance program.
This includes Korean expatriates who return to the country for short periods, foreign students and those married to Korean nationals.
The new law, which will take effect from July 16th, requires those subject to enrollment to pay over 95 U.S. dollars per month, …which is equivalent to the average amount Korean nationals pay on a non-employer scheme.
The insurance premium will vary according to household income and assets.
Foreign students will be granted a discount of up to 50 percent …and pay around 50 dollars a month.

Until now, enrollment in the national health insurance program was optional for foreigners living in the country for three months or longer …and allowed them to still benefit from the insurance.
This resulted in cases of people receiving expensive treatment for relatively small sums of money and then leaving the country.
The National Health Insurance Service projects some 400-thousand people will be affected by the new mandatory insurance program.
Those who do not comply with the new requirements and pay on time may face health care and visa-related penalties.
Park Se-young, Arirang News.