Article 1 (Purpose) The purpose of this Ordinance is to prescribe matters necessary for fostering and revitalizing medical tourism, thereby boosting medical tourism, creating jobs, and contributing to the development of the local economy.

Article 2 (Definitions) The terms used in this Ordinance are defined as follows:
1. The term "medical tourism" means where a patient who receives examination, treatment, operation, or any other medical service at a medical institution in Korea and a companion of such patient go sightseeing while receiving medical services as prescribed in Article 12-2 of the Tourism Promotion Act;
2. The term "international patient" means a foreigner who is not an insured of the national health insurance or dependent under Article 109 of the National Health Insurance Act (excluding foreigners residing in Korea as prescribed by Ordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare); and who receives examination, treatment, operation, or any other medical service at a medical institution located in Seoul Metropolitan City (hereinafter referred to as the "City");
3. The term "medical institution for attraction of international patients" (hereinafter referred to as "medical institution") means a medical institution located in the City which has filed for registration with the Minister of Health and Welfare to attract international patients under Article 6 (1) of the Act on Support for Overseas Expansion of Healthcare System and Attraction of International Patients;
4. The term "international patient attraction agency (hereinafter referred to as "attraction agency")" means an agency which has filed for registration with the Minister of Health and Welfare to attract international patients to a medical institution located in the City under Article 6 (2) of the Act on Support for Overseas Expansion of Healthcare System and Attraction of International Patients;
5. The term "medical tourism expert (hereinafter referred to as "expert") means a person who helps an international patient receive examination, treatment, operation, or any other medical service from a skilled medical team at a medical institution located in the City; and who provides necessary support to the patient and his or her companions during their stay and tour from their arrival to departure.

Article 3 (Relationship to Other Ordinances of the Seoul Metropolitan Government) Except as otherwise provided in any other Ordinance of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, this Ordinance shall apply to revitalizing medical tourism.

Article 4 (Formulation and Implementation of Master Plans for Revitalizing Medical Tourism) (1) The Mayor of the Seoul Metropolitan Government (hereinafter referred to as the "Mayor") shall formulate a master plan for revitalizing medical tourism and attracting international patients (hereinafter referred to as "master plan") every five years, after seeking advice from the Medical Tourism Revitalization Committee under Article 5 (hereinafter referred to as the "Committee").
(2) Each master plan shall include the following matters necessary for revitalizing medical tourism and attracting international patients:
1. Basic policy and direction-setting;
2. Matters necessary for building systems for achieving public-private sector partnerships;
3. Matters necessary for managing medical tourism to enhance confidence therein;
4. Matters necessary for nurturing medical tourism experts;
5. Other matters deemed necessary by the Mayor to revitalize medical tourism and attract international patients.
(3) The Mayor shall formulate and implement annual action plans in accordance with the master plan referred to in paragraph (1).

Article 5 (Organizing and Operating Committee) (1) The Mayor may establish the Committee to formulate measures and to seek advice on the master plan for the purposes of supporting the revitalization of medical tourism and the attraction of international patients.
(2) The Committee shall consist of up to 15 members, including one chairperson and one vice-chairperson, both of whom shall be elected from among and by its members.
(3) Members of the Committee shall be commissioned from among the following persons; and the director-general of the Tourism and Sports Bureau and director-general of the Citizen's Health Bureau shall be ex officio members:
1. Experts from organizations, institutions, and academia relating to medical tourism;
2. Experts in public relations and marketing relating to medical tourism;
3. Persons with extensive knowledge of and experience in the impact on domestic medical services and attraction of international patients.
(4) The chairperson shall exercise overall control over relevant duties as the representative of the Committee: Provided, That where the chairperson is unable to perform his or her duties due to unavoidable circumstances, the vice-chairperson shall act on behalf of the chairperson; and where both the chairperson and the vice-chairperson are unable to perform their duties, a member appointed by the chairperson shall act on their behalf.
(5) An executive secretary and a clerk shall be appointed to generally coordinate the affairs of the Committee and to prepare meeting minutes: The head of the department in charge of the Committee shall serve as the executive secretary and the head of a team within the department shall serve as the clerk.

Article 6 (Terms of Office of Members and Decommissioning of Members) (1) The term of office for a member shall be two years, which may be renewed only once: Provided, That the term of office for an ex officio member shall coincide with their respective term of office for the position entitling them to serve on the Committee, and a member newly commissioned to replace the decommissioned member shall serve for the remainder of the term of office for his or her predecessor.
(2) The Mayor may decommission a member in any of the following cases:
1. Where the member is unable to perform his or her duties due to an illness requiring long-term treatment or the like;
2. Where the member fails to attend a meeting without a justifiable ground or exhibits distinctively poor performance;
3. Where the member wishes to resign;
4. Other cases where the member's conduct causes injury to dignity as a member, such as where a civil petition is filed due to or against him or her.
(3) The Mayor shall decommission a member if the member discloses any information acquired in the course of performing his or her duties or uses such information for any personal purpose.

Article 7 (Meetings of Committee) (1) The Committee shall advise on the following matters necessary for revitalizing medical tourism and attracting international patients:
1. Matters regarding formulating a master plan and action plan;
2. Matters regarding overseas marketing and public relations activities;
3. Matters regarding deliberating on and evaluating the projects for revitalizing medical tourism under Article 9;
4. Matters regarding developing products and establishing a network;
5. Other matters deemed necessary by the Mayor or chairperson.
(2) The Committee shall have regular and special meetings: Regular meetings shall be held once in the first half of every year and once in the latter half; and special meetings shall be held in either of the following cases:
1. At the request of at least 1/3 of all incumbent members of the Committee;
2. Other cases where the Mayor or chairperson deems a special meeting necessary.
(3) Meetings of the Committee shall be convened with the attendance of a majority of all incumbent members, and resolution shall be adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of those present.
(4) The Committee meetings shall be faithfully recorded in minutes or by other means and, in principle, open to the public.

Article 8 (Allowances for Committee Members) Allowances may be paid to members for attending a Committee meeting under the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Payment of Committee Allowances and Travel Expenses.

Article 9 (Support for Projects for Revitalizing Medical Tourism) The Mayor may provide administrative and financial support, within budgetary limits, to a medical institution or attraction agency which conducts the following projects to revitalize medical tourism:
1. Projects for online and offline public relations activities in Korea and overseas, such as holding information sessions abroad for revitalizing medical tourism;
2. Projects for improving convenience of international patients, such as providing translation services for medical tourism and offering pick-up services at airports;
3. Projects for enhancing satisfaction with medical tourism, such as establishing a help desk for medical tourism in Seoul;
4. Projects for cultivating experts in medical tourism;
5. Projects for developing medical tourism products;
6. Projects for building a network for medical tourism in Korea and overseas;
7. Projects for obtaining international certification of medical services;
8. Other projects the Mayor deems necessary to revitalize medical tourism.

Article 10 (Public Relations and Marketing Activities for Medical Tourism) (1) The Mayor may build and operate a website dedicated to medical tourism for public relations and marketing activities.
(2) The Mayor may implement projects deemed necessary to revitalize medical tourism and publicize the excellence of medical services and tourist attractions of the City, within budgetary limits.

Article 11 (Honorary Ambassadors for Medical Tourism) (1) The Mayor may commission a person suitable for public relations activities as an honorary ambassador for the City's medical tourism where deemed necessary for promoting and revitalizing medical tourism.
(2) Matters regarding commissioning an honorary ambassador for medical tourism under paragraph (1) shall be governed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on Honorary Ambassadors.

Article 12 (Requesting Cooperation of Relevant Institutions) The Mayor may request that relevant institutions or organizations provide cooperation such as attending a meeting and submitting materials or opinions if such cooperation is necessary to revitalize medical tourism.

Article 13 (Enforcement Rule) Matters necessary for enforcing this Ordinance shall be prescribed by rule of the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

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