South Korea aims to attract 400,000 foreign patients this year while creating 50,000 more jobs in the nation’s health and pharmaceutical industries, the Health Ministry said in its 2016 policy briefing to President Park Geun-hye on Monday.

Last year, Korea attracted 280,000 patients from overseas. To lure more visitors, Korea will refund the 10 percent value added tax to foreign patients who receive treatments at dermatology and cosmetic surgery clinics from this year. 

Also starting this year, remote consultations between Korean doctors and overseas patients will be allowed. Job training programs for interpreters and medical coordinators will also be launched. 

The Health Ministry aims to create 50,000 more jobs in the industry, adding to the 710,000 jobs held last year. 

Korean medical companies will also now be allowed to promote their services through ads at duty-free shops, airports and ports in Korea. Also, all medical institutions that receive foreign patients will be required to be insured for medical accidents and all patients will be informed of their rights and the possible adverse effects of their treatments.

The proposal also included plans to support local biopharmaceutical companies. Earlier this month, EuBiologics Co., a Korean biopharmaceutical company, announced that its newly developed oral cholera vaccine received prequalification from the World Health Organization, and will be used in mass immunization programs in low-income countries.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)