The World On arirang

On Dec. 5, South Korea granted a permit for the opening of the country's first-ever for-profit hospital, set to open Jan. 2019 on Jeju Island for foreign patients only. The hospital operates much like a listed firm, funded by private investors, with the power to distribute profits generated. It also isn't covered by South Korea's national health insurance scheme, with doctors having the power to determine fee levels, leading to concerns that it could increase the cost burden of medical care, exacerbate inequality, and trigger a collapse in the country's universal healthcare system. In this week's edition of "Foreign Correspondents", we sit down with our panel of journalists to talk more about the issues surrounding South Korea's first-ever for-profit hospital, as well as the wider concerns surrounding the expansion of privatization in healthcare.

Panelists

Andres Sanchez Braun, Journalist/ EFE

Ann Babe, Journalist /U.S. News & World Report

Frank Smith, Correspondent / Press