The National Health Screening Program (NHSP) of Korea was launched in the 1950s and has long supported the nation’s health management efforts. Recent low fertility and an aging population have highlighted the importance of healthy citizens, the primary agents of economic activity. The NHSP is essential in supporting the health of citizens as it manages national assets. The government should conduct a policy review to identify blind spots in supporting citizens staying healthy through the NHSP and find inefficiencies in the prevention and early detection of diseases.
This report reviews the design of checkups, the management of eligible groups and examination facilities, follow-up management, and implementation structure. As a result, it suggests that checkups be designed based on the conditions and medical validity of each citizen. Through more systematic management, the program must cover every citizen, including long-term nonparticipants, medical benefit recipients aged 65 and older, and out-of-school youths. The government must manage private checkups and provide information on those to prevent their misuse and improve the quality of national screenings. It should also systemize follow-up care to increase the NHSP’s effectiveness. As inefficiencies arise due to the separate operations of student health screenings, the double-track examination system should be improved.