Korean Peninsula: Reunification could result in rise in infectious diseases

On a reunified Korean Peninsula, a resident of a rural area in North Hamkyong Province relocates to a large city in South Korea to get a job. In North Korea, train stations and bus terminals are crowded with people heading for the South. The man appears excited to start a new life in the South, but health checkups for North Koreans are delayed in the South due to administrative work because of a massive influx. The man had tuberculosis, or TB, in the North but could not get proper treatment there. Given the lack of regular intake of medicine, he fails to get cured of the disease. The disease rapidly spreads to people living in South Korea. This virtual scenario was created by The Dong-A Ilbo based on the Korea National Institute of Health`s report “Healthcare Plan for Future Reunification” exclusively obtained by Dong-A. The report said two million, or 8 percent,...