Based on guidance from the National Health Insurance Service and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency
National Screening Colonoscopy: Who Gets It Free and How Often — Gastroscopy Co-pay and Booking
Under Korea's national health screening, adults 40 and older get a gastroscopy every 2 years, and adults 50 and older get a colonoscopy depending on their stool test result. This page explains who pays how much, who pays for sedation, and how to book.
30-second summary
Based on National Health Insurance Service screening guidance · checked by WiDocs on September 28, 2026
Korea's national stomach cancer screening offers a gastroscopy every 2 years to adults 40 and older. You pay 10% of the cost; people in the lower 50% income bracket and Medical Aid recipients pay nothing. The national colorectal cancer screening offers a stool test (fecal occult blood test) every year to adults 50 and older, followed by a colonoscopy if the result is positive. Colorectal cancer screening is fully paid by the government. If you skip the stool test and go straight to a colonoscopy, you pay the full cost of the test yourself. Tests outside the set screening items, such as anesthesia for sedated endoscopy, are charged to you separately. You can check whether you are eligible with the National Health Insurance Service (1577-1000).
- National screening gastroscopy: age 40 and older, every 2 years
- National colorectal cancer screening: age 50 and older, starting with a stool test every year
- A positive stool test leads to a colonoscopy, and colorectal cancer screening is fully paid by the government
- For stomach cancer screening you pay 10% of the cost (free for the lower 50% income bracket and Medical Aid recipients)
- Anesthesia for sedated endoscopy is outside the screening items, so you pay for it yourself
- Check eligibility with the National Health Insurance Service: 1577-1000
Gastroscopy and colonoscopy under national screening, at a glance
Based on National Health Insurance Service screening guidance.
Test preparation and procedures are explained in detail in the WiDocs columns and wiki below (in Korean).
Endoscopy costs: five common points of confusion
Is the national screening gastroscopy free? People in the upper 50% income bracket pay 10% of the cost. People in the lower 50% income bracket and Medical Aid recipients pay nothing.
Can I get a colonoscopy through national screening too? Adults 50 and older first take a stool test every year and get a colonoscopy if it is positive. The whole process is fully paid by the government.
What if a gastroscopy is difficult for me? If a gastroscopy is difficult, you can choose an upper GI series instead.
Does sedation cost more? Yes. Anesthesia for sedated endoscopy is outside the set screening items, so there is an extra out-of-pocket charge.
What if I can't get screened this year? National screening must be done by December 31 of that year. The National Health Insurance Service advises booking early because screening centers can fill up early.
When you pay out of pocket or are not eligible
If you get a colonoscopy without taking the stool test, you pay the full cost of the test yourself.
If you get tests outside the set screening items, such as anesthesia for sedated endoscopy, there is an additional out-of-pocket charge.
If you are screened more often than the set number of times for an item, the screening cost is reclaimed.
People registered for special co-payment coverage for stomach or colorectal cancer are deferred from screening for that cancer. They can register as eligible if they wish.
Steps to get an endoscopy through national screening
- Check whether you are eligible — National Health Insurance Service website (Health iN), The Health Insurance app, or call 1577-1000
- Book a screening center — slots can fill up early, so book ahead
- If you are screened in the afternoon, fast for at least 8 hours before the test. For the colonoscopy diet and bowel prep, see the WiDocs columns below (in Korean)
- On the day, bring your screening notice and your ID. If you have sedated endoscopy, do not drive yourself; come with a companion
- View your results under health screening results on Health iN or The Health Insurance app
Learn more about endoscopy and screening — WiDocs columns · wiki · Docsmap
Test preparation and how to read results are covered in the WiDocs internal medicine columns and wiki, and nearby internal medicine clinics are on Docsmap. Linked pages are in Korean.
WiDocs Medical Leaders who handle screening and endoscopy
Board-certified internists and family medicine physicians who perform screenings and endoscopies themselves. Their profiles show their scope of practice and the screening columns they have written (in Korean).
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to fast for the stool test?
No. The fecal occult blood test for colorectal cancer and the breast and cervical cancer screenings do not require fasting.
I had a colonoscopy 3 years ago and haven't received a colorectal cancer screening notice
People who had a colonoscopy within the past 5 years are deferred from colorectal cancer screening. You can register as eligible if you wish.
Can I drive on the day of a sedated endoscopy?
The National Health Insurance Service notice says driving yourself after sedated endoscopy is dangerous, and advises using public transportation and coming with a companion.
Where can I see my screening results?
Under health screening results on the National Health Insurance Service website Health iN or in The Health Insurance app.
I'm not sure whether I'm eligible this year
Check on the National Health Insurance Service website or by calling 1577-1000. The service sends a notice to eligible people every year.
- National Health Insurance Service · Health screening notice: cancer screening costs and precautions (in Korean)
- KDCA National Health Information Portal · Health screening: cancer screening (in Korean)
- Easy-to-Find Practical Laws · Cancer screening eligibility and methods (in Korean)
- National Cancer Center · National Cancer Screening Program (in Korean)
- WiDocs internal medicine columns — written under their own names by board-certified internists (in Korean)
- WiDocs · When a colonoscopy is needed — seeing an internist for bloody stool or diarrhea (in Korean)
- WiDocs · Who is eligible for workplace health screening? Screening intervals for office and non-office workers (in Korean)
- WiDocs · When should I get a health screening? Why it matters even without symptoms (in Korean)
Who made this endoscopy cost guide
WiSite, which builds internal medicine clinic websites, also built and runs this screening cost page. If you run an internal medicine clinic, note that patients search for screening eligibility, costs and test preparation first.
An internal medicine website we built
SONGDO FIRST MEDICAL · Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon. The site has pages for the GI endoscopy center, health screening center, screening item table, internal medicine clinics, IV therapy clinic, doctor profiles, hours, directions and non-covered fees. A bar at the top shows whether the clinic is open today.
See real websites we have built, including for internal medicine clinics.
Find an internal medicine clinic near you
Choose your region on WiDocs Docsmap to compare internal medicine clinics' hours and reviews (in Korean).