South Korea Sets First Permanent Telehealth Rules: Local Clinics Only and Seven-Day Prescription Cap

South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on October 18, 2026 a comprehensive permanent regulatory framework for telehealth services, formalising rules that had existed only on a temporary basis since the COVID-19 pandemic. The framework entered a public comment period from October 19 to November 9 before expected finalisation, with the rules set to take effect December 24, 2026. Two categories of patient are eligible: returning patients who had an in-person consultation for the same condition at the same institution within the previous six months, and first-time telehealth users who are restricted to clinics located in their own city or province. Initial prescriptions through telehealth are capped at seven days, with a one-time extension to 30 days if medically justified; return patients with prior treatment records may receive up to 30-day prescriptions directly. Narcotics, psychotropic drugs, and anti-obesity medications cannot be prescribed remotely. Medical institutions are capped at 30% of their total caseload being telehealth per six-month period. Practitioner monthly limits are set at 500 remote consultations for doctors, and 130 for dentists and traditional Korean medicine practitioners. Platforms with 100,000 or more cumulative subscribers must obtain official certification. Exemptions apply for rare-disease patients, those with Type 1 diabetes, and registered individuals with disabilities.