However, this fact on surplus is hardly known8, and only the deficit and some
abuse cases were reported in the media.
52. The right to health, in a broad sense, include all social determinants of health
such as income, education, housing, labor, employment and prohibition of
discrimination, beyond the rights to health care service or medical social
security system. Therefore, in a view that it is not desirable to take measures
that go against the protection of the rights of all migrants who are legally
residing in Korea base on some abusive cases, the government should
carefully review and supplement the amendments to the Enforcement Decree
of the National Health Insurance Act and Enforcement Rule of the National
Health Insurance Act.
53. In addition, it is needed to strengthen supervision on the workplaces that are
reluctant to provide the mandatory employee insured subscription benefits and
to increase the number of workplaces registered as business in agricultural and
livestock industry to prevent migrant workers who have entered Korea
through the Inter-governmental Memorandum of Understanding on Sending
Manpower and currently under the Employment Permit System from working
in places where they are not even granted the right to join the health insurance.
Issue 11. Expansion of Public Assistance for At-risk Migrants
54. The National Basic Living Security System restricts the scope of migrants who
become beneficiaries of the system to marriage migrants and refugees, and
even marriage migrants can become beneficiaries only when they perform
traditional female roles such as pregnancy, child rearing or supporting lineal
ascendants.
55. The Emergency Aid and Support System provides aids for livelihood, medical
care, and housing for migrants who have suffered from fire, crime or natural
disaster for a certain period without causes attributable to them even if they
are not marriage migrants or refugees. However, when both the victim and
perpetrator of crime are migrants, the victim is excluded from receiving the
support.
56. As the number of migrants residing in Korea increases and types of stay
diversify, some of them are becoming homeless. The Act on Support for
Welfare and Self-reliance of the Homeless, Etc., prescribes the beneficiary of
“Surplus in Foreigner Health Insurance, Abuse case has to be stopped” (13 October 2018. CPBC, Radio,
< Open World Today! This is Kim Hyeyoung>)
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