The national healthcare plan

All teachers are covered by the Korean national healthcare plan. At some point during your first two weeks here your co-teacher will take you to the local hospital for a 'health check'. It's a fairly simple process. They record your height and weight, have you read an eye chart, take a chest x-ray, read an eye chart, have your teeth looked at (I have no idea why) and give both a blood and urine sample. I have been told that the blood and urine are checked for HIV and illegal drugs but don't quote me on that.

You will be asked for a passport-sized photo when you go to the hospital so bring one with you. If you arrive in Korea without extra passport photos there is an automated photo booth in the lobby of the Gwangju immigration office so you can get photos when you go to apply for your ARC.

There is some English spoken at the hospital. Nearly every doctor and nurse is from the Seoul area and had some amount of English. Once you're in the healthcare plan visits are not very expensive. I paid something like 8,000 Won per session when I did physical therapy. I don't recall exactly but the one time I had an x-ray it was less than 20,000 Won. Also if you want a Japanese Encephalitis shot wait until you get here. I was quoted something like $600 for that in the US and here it was around 30,000 Won.

A few days after your health check you will be given a card that you bring with you whenever you go to the hospital.