Treatment Using Hot Spring Water Allowed in Medical Institutions and Elderly Medical Welfare Facilities

Ministry of the Interior and Safety Revises Enforcement Decree of Hot Springs Act ... Medical Institutions Included in Hot Spring Facilities

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 22nd that, following the revision of the 'Hot Spring Act Enforcement Decree,' the use of hot spring water will now be possible in medical institutions where it was previously restricted.

Previously, Article 16 of the Hot Spring Act and Article 17 of its Enforcement Decree limited the scope of hot spring usage permits to public drinking, bathhouse businesses, lodging businesses, heating and energy facilities, and certain industrial and public facilities, thereby prohibiting the use of hot spring water in medical institutions and elderly medical welfare facilities.

The Ministry explained that it accepted proposals from local governments such as Asan City in Chungnam Province, requesting permission to use hot spring water in long-term care hospitals and nursing homes to introduce treatment programs for skin diseases and cardiovascular diseases using hot spring water, which are well-established in European countries like France, Germany, and the Czech Republic, thereby improving the system.

Furthermore, with this legal amendment allowing the use of hot spring water in hospitals, long-term care hospitals, and nursing homes, it is expected that wellness tourism, developed in Europe for health and healing purposes beyond the traditional bath-centered use of hot springs, will be revitalized.

The amendment also includes provisions to support differentiated hot spring policies by local governments, such as criteria for designating hot spring cities based on hot spring temperature and components, as well as the basis for providing hot spring information to enhance accessibility.

The concurrently revised Hot Spring Act Enforcement Rules added standards for Legionella bacteria detection and residual free chlorine concentration to the water quality standards for hot spring bathhouses, ensuring that visitors can use hot spring bathhouses more safely.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.