Do you have to do medical exam every year, even if renew same school?

I'm on an F visa and have renewed with the same school (public elementary EPIK contract but it is a city-funded school, not
funded by EPIK).
Do I have to do another medical examination again for the same school? Is it once every year or once every two years?
I wasn't sure if the rules are the same for E visa holders vs F visa holders and for EPIK schools or city-funded schools.

in order to renew your contract, yes you will need a health check every year. The visa type makes no difference because it is not related to your visa at all. If you are not healthy enough the schools will not want to keep you around because you might miss work, quit, etc. Some say it is related to health insurance costs too, but I don't know about that.  I would think a private school could be different, but if you have an EPIK contract it is written in there about having annual health exams.

Do I have to do another medical examination again for the same school?

Since you are on a F class VISA exact same rules apply to you as would any other Korean.
Foreigners need a full medical examination when they enter Korea for the first time to work.

After that, if they do not leave Korea for a period of longer than 6 months they will not need another to comply with Immigration requirements.

As for Provincial/Municipal schools, if you are not part of the Teacher Union then it will be stated in your Employment Agreement.
The protections of the students in Public Schools and the policies to enforce those protections which affect Personnel (i.e. criminal record, health, age, etc) are negotiated by the Korean Teachers Union.

So if your School is truly a Korean Public School and you are not registered with the Union it will state it in your Employment Contract.  Otherwise you will be asked to follow the same policy as those of Public School Teachers.

Cheers,

I'm on an F visa and have renewed with the same school (public elementary EPIK contract but it is a city-funded school, not
funded by EPIK).
Do I have to do another medical examination again for the same school? Is it once every year or once every two years?
I wasn't sure if the rules are the same for E visa holders vs F visa holders and for EPIK schools or city-funded schools.

I doubt it, but it all depends on the school.  I've only had three medical checks in 12 or so years and one of those was last year for an after-school class at a different school.  A city hall-funded school is less likely to have emails and direction from the education office, and they are less bothered as they already know you.  My school is like yours and there is nothing shared between the two which is why I still have a contract that is from four years ago.  Like Nightninja said, it's not a visa thing, it's a school thing.  It may only be a 공무원 채용신체 검사 (blood, height, weight, sight, urine test for diabetes, chest x-ray) which is simple and only costs about 30 000 won depending where you have it done. 

I doubt it, but it all depends on the school.  I've only had three medical checks in 12 or so years and one of those was last year for an after-school class at a different school.  A city hall-funded school is less likely to have emails and direction from the education office, and they are less bothered as they already know you.  My school is like yours and there is nothing shared between the two which is why I still have a contract that is from four years ago.  Like Nightninja said, it's not a visa thing, it's a school thing.  It may only be a 공무원 채용신체 검사 (blood, height, weight, sight, urine test for diabetes, chest x-ray) which is simple and only costs about 30 000 won depending where you have it done. 

Thanks.  The one I took last year cost me 70,000 won out of my own pocket.  It was called, 채용 신체검사서
Testing was for: hearing, sight, blood pressure, chest x-ray, urine, and blood (and measuring your height/weight etc).
Sounds like the same test? Why is mine double the price?

In my first 6 years I only did one medical check.

In the last 3.5 years I’ve done about 5 in total lol. 3 for the office education, 2 for the national insurance shizzle.

I believe technically contract teachers are supposed do a health check every year. However, if they school doesn't tell you... it's been a while since they've asked for one (I hate needles)... ehem...

Thanks.  The one I took last year cost me 70,000 won out of my own pocket.  It was called, 채용 신체검사서
Testing was for: hearing, sight, blood pressure, chest x-ray, urine, and blood (and measuring your height/weight etc).
Sounds like the same test? Why is mine double the price?

Yeh, it's the same test.  The price really depends on the hospital you have it done at.  I live 'rurally' so I had one choice of hospital, one I vowed never to go back to.  So it' cheaper there.  If you're in a big city, I can imagine that 70 000 won would easily be the price.

I believe technically contract teachers are supposed do a health check every year. However, if they school doesn't tell you... it's been a while since they've asked for one (I hate needles)... ehem...

Yep, such is the nature of Korea.  If you work at a school for a number of years then I'm sure they think there is no need for medical checks and unless the education office tells them to do one, then they don't bother. 

Also, now we know your weakness....   

I've had to do it every year, and other than the very first one, I haven't had to pay for it at all. :o

I've had to do it every year, and other than the very first one, I haven't had to pay for it at all. :o

Yeah, I don't know what everyone's on about. I've had to do these like clockwork.

Yeah, I don't know what everyone's on about. I've had to do these like clockwork.

Well, maybe, I dunno, it could be just, that, like, erm, Koreans can spot a makkeooollllliii addict from a mile off.  Rice alcohol fumes sew confusion.  Just saying, you know, like. 

I've had to do it every year, and other than the very first one, I haven't had to pay for it at all. :o

There does need to be some benefits for New Zealanders seeming as both you and Zola are in Korea, New Zealand is now empty.  Well done. 

Well, maybe, I dunno, it could be just, that, like, erm, Koreans can spot a makkeooollllliii addict from a mile off.  Rice alcohol fumes sew confusion.  Just saying, you know, like. 

There does need to be some benefits for New Zealanders seeming as both you and Zola are in Korea, New Zealand is now empty.  Well done.

Without us, there is still like 60Million sheep there, running the country and doing sheep things. :p

It should state in your contract. It states in mine that I must get a drug test. That is all I get tested for, nothing else. The other kind of test is a bigger one which is done every two years and it is for the National Healthcare Service. It is only "required" by your school in the sense that they could receive a fine if it isn't completed. The information for the healthcare test isn't shared with your school, but it is solely for the purposes of determining your healthcare premium and keeping up with the status of individuals covered under the National Healthcare System. If you work for a public institution the NHS check will be free of charge but you're expected to do it on your own time. If not, you may have to pay. If you are completing some kind of check to hold up your contract, you'll have to pay, and you don't get time off to do it. If you are unsure of exactly what they're looking for, if your contract states "health check", maybe give the Office of Education a call and ask exactly which tests they are looking for. As for me they are looking for TBED(something like that) and it is a urine drug test.

Education office makes us do one every year to renew the contract. 

Well I did  my test today and asked them to do the one Ronnie suggested and this time it only came out to 40,000 won but the test was exactly the same one as last year when I paid 70,000 won....same hospital, strange!

The one new test they now include is an ECG test.  I didn't know about this.  So when they asked me to lay on the bed and started attaching wires to my ankles, wrist, and chest with electrical nodes I was getting freaked out.  I asked them when this became part of the testing and they said it started just last year. 

What is an ECG test supposed to find out? If you have a bad heart or irregular heart rhythms?  I was pretty nervous cuz I had no idea what this test was and it seemed like I was going to be electrocuted or have a defibrillator used on me or something.  Well, the test had no feeling whatsoever.  No shocks or anything like that.  It's just weird being strapped up to electrical clamps on my ankle and wrist and putting electrical nodes on my bare chest (about 3 or 4 of them).   

Well I did  my test today and asked them to do the one Ronnie suggested and this time it only came out to 40,000 won but the test was exactly the same one as last year when I paid 70,000 won....same hospital, strange!

The one new test they now include is an ECG test.  I didn't know about this.  So when they asked me to lay on the bed and started attaching wires to my ankles, wrist, and chest with electrical nodes I was getting freaked out.  I asked them when this became part of the testing and they said it started just last year. 

What is an ECG test supposed to find out? If you have a bad heart or irregular heart rhythms?  I was pretty nervous cuz I had no idea what this test was and it seemed like I was going to be electrocuted or have a defibrillator used on me or something.  Well, the test had no feeling whatsoever.  No shocks or anything like that.  It's just weird being strapped up to electrical clamps on my ankle and wrist and putting electrical nodes on my bare chest (about 3 or 4 of them).   

I did mine in September last year, so it's possible that an ECG was included after that.  The ECG would check for heart abnormalities, so I'm sure it's a good addition to the health check.  Sorry it was an unexpected test though.  It can be kind of scary doing things here in the hospitals.  I had a brain MRI in December and it's probably the most horrible thing I've ever had to do.  Not the wholly fact it was here, just the fact my head was clamped in place and then as you're loaded into the doughtnut bit you are so close to the machine that it felt horribly claustrophobic.  There was no panic button, there was no music played (another teacher had one done in Seoul and got music played while they were in the machine) it was just horrible and I didn't quite catch whether they said it'd take 20 minutes or 1 hour 20 minutes. Luckily, it was only 20 minutes.     

I'm not renewing in February. I got an email from my coordinator about the national health exam. My school hasn't said anything about it. I hate needles and doctors in general. My coordinator says we have till Dec 31st and i'm leaving Feb 25. Will i be penalized if i don't do it?

I'm not renewing in February. I got an email from my coordinator about the national health exam. My school hasn't said anything about it. I hate needles and doctors in general. My coordinator says we have till Dec 31st and i'm leaving Feb 25. Will i be penalized if i don't do it?

From what I've heard the school may just be fined, but if you are leaving so soon after the deadline, I wouldn't worry about it.

like the posts above, yes I had to do one too, with EPIK before they would even give me the new contract to sign. I also had to do one for the NHS because I was born in an even year.
the cost for that appointment was 2,400W

I'm not renewing in February. I got an email from my coordinator about the national health exam. My school hasn't said anything about it. I hate needles and doctors in general. My coordinator says we have till Dec 31st and i'm leaving Feb 25. Will i be penalized if i don't do it?

wow, I get a PM frequently about the appointment. I just did it Monday, it sucked. for the endoscope to the stomach, I do recommend anesthesia. I opted out of it and am still traumatized. lol

for the endoscope to the stomach

frankly I might just opt to leave if this is a required thing seeing as I haven't had great success with anesthesia in the past.  well hopefully Korean hospitals aren't too stingy with it