Psychiatric records in South Korea: employment, privacy, and insurance

CareOps editorial team · October 9, 2026 · 9 min read

General information and service guidance published by CareOps. This is not an individual diagnosis or treatment plan.

Translated from our Korean guide. Korean public services, insurance, and helpline numbers refer to South Korea. For urgent help elsewhere, contact local emergency services or a crisis line in your country.

Even though it's hard, I have concerns that make me turn away from the hospital door. ‘Wouldn’t it be disadvantageous for me to get a job if my record remains?’, ‘Wouldn’t I be able to get insurance?’ Let me divide your vague concerns into facts and misunderstandings.

Psychiatric records, where do they go?

Having records and being able to see those records are two different things. Medical records are one of the most strongly protected pieces of personal information.

Can the company check my psychiatric records?

No. In its health insurance webzine, the National Health Insurance Corporation explains "Under the current medical law, public institutions and private companies cannot view applicants' medical records." Data held by the corporation will not be provided to other places unless there is a clear legal basis such as a criminal investigation or the person has given consent.

The health checkup that a company conducts when hiring is a test to check general health, and is not a procedure to retrieve past medical treatment history. However, in some job applications or questionnaires, you may write down your medical history directly. The difference here is that it is not an inquiry but information you provide.

Does it affect the appointment of civil servants?

The physical examination for civil servant employment is not a procedure to disqualify an employee by checking his/her past medical history. The Ministry of Personnel Management informs us that the recruitment physical examination is not intended to disadvantage those who have had a specific disease in the past, but is a process to check whether the applicant is in physical condition capable of performing normal duties at the time of appointment. The mere fact that you have received counseling or outpatient treatment does not disqualify you.

However, there are occupations that have separate physical and aptitude standards, such as police, fire, military, and aviation. If you have decided on the job you want to apply for, it is most accurate to check the physical examination standards in the recruitment announcement directly.

Is there any effect on signing up for insurance?

This is where things can really make a difference. When signing up for private insurance, there is a process for reporting your health status. The general actual cost medical insurance subscription screening items disclosed by the Financial Services Commission include diagnosis, treatment, hospitalization, surgery, and medication within the last 3 months, and hospitalization, surgery, and continued treatment within the last 5 years, and medication for more than 30 days. If mental health treatment also falls under this category, you must disclose it as required by the application questions.

• Insurance companies cannot freely access health insurance records. Instead, the subscriber has an obligation to inform the truth, and if he or she does not inform the subscriber, the contract may be terminated later or insurance money may not be received. When filing an insurance claim, we may check your medical records with your consent.
• Informing someone does not necessarily mean they will be rejected. Depending on the diagnosis and treatment period, you may be enrolled as is, conditions may be attached, or it may be postponed for a certain period of time. Standards vary by insurance company and product.
• Insurance that you have already signed up for will not be canceled just because you received medical treatment.

If you are planning to apply for insurance, clarify what coverage you need and compare insurers' assessment criteria before applying, rather than delaying needed care.

If I just get counseling without medication, will my records be different?

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that starting from April 1, 2013, separate disease codes will be applied to psychiatric outpatient consultations without drug prescriptions to avoid mental illness records when claiming health insurance. It is a general consultation code commonly called ‘Z code’.

However, the doctor decides which code to bill based on the details of the treatment. If you're curious, you can ask at the doctor's office, "What code is billed for?" It's a common question.

The definition of ‘mentally ill person’ under the law is narrow.

The Mental Health Welfare Act defines a mentally ill person as “a person who has significant limitations in leading an independent daily life”. People who receive outpatient treatment for depression, anxiety, or insomnia and continue their daily lives do not fall within this definition. Because disqualifications for many qualifications and licenses are based on this definition, it is rare for a person to be disqualified based solely on an outpatient medical history.

I can check my records

If you verify your identity through ‘View my medical information’ on the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service website, you can directly view your medical treatment history for the past 5 years. You can use it when you want to check what disease code was billed. This is a screen that only you can see.

If I receive treatment without insurance, will there be no record?

If you do not use health insurance, no claim records are left with the Corporation and the Review and Assessment Service. However, it remains on the hospital's medical record, and all medical expenses must be paid by the patient himself. And the obligation to inform when signing up for insurance asks whether you have received a diagnosis and treatment, regardless of whether you used health insurance or not. The gain is not great compared to the cost of avoiding recording.

Please note that counseling at private psychological counseling centers is not treatment at a medical institution, so health insurance records are not created. The costs and support system of the counseling center are summarized in Psychological Counseling Cost Article.

The cost of delaying treatment is greater than recording it.

In the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 2021 Mental Health Survey, the proportion of people assessed as having a mental disorder who received professional help at least once in their lives was 12.1%. This means that nearly nine out of ten are surviving without help. Worry about records is one of the reasons.

Not being able to sleep, having difficulty going to work, and falling relationships are all losses that are definitely happening right now. Most of the disadvantages that may arise due to records are misunderstandings or things that can be prepared for by knowing in advance. If the signs corresponding to early symptoms of depression persist for more than two weeks, it is better not to delay treatment.

This article provides general information, not diagnosis or treatment. For urgent help, contact local emergency services or a crisis line in your country. In South Korea, the suicide prevention helpline is 109 (24 hours), and the mental health crisis line is 1577-0199.