South Korea issues malaria advisory for soldiers serving near North Korea border
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the Ministry of National Defense announced, “In order to eradicate malaria domestically, discharged soldiers who served in border areas can receive a free malaria rapid diagnostic kit (RDT) test at public health centers or military hospitals nationwide if they develop symptoms suspected of malaria (fever, headache, chills, etc.) after discharge.”
This follows the first two malaria patients reported among discharged soldiers who served in the military in Paju, Gyeonggi Province and Cheorwon, Gangwon Province in April 2025.
Malaria occurring in Korea is transmitted through the bite of a vector mosquito (Anopheles mosquito) infected with Plasmodium vivax, and symptoms appear within up to two years after the parasite becomes dormant in the liver. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, loss of appetite, etc., and chills-fever-sweating appear repeatedly in a 48-hour cycle, which is characteristic.
There are more than 600 malaria patients in Korea each year, and among them, soldiers (active duty and discharged soldiers) account for about 150, or about 20% of all patients. In particular, the number of malaria patients in 2024 decreased by 38 from the previous year to 505 civilians, but increased by 21 from the previous year to 67 discharged soldiers. In April of this year, malaria patients were reported one after another in Paju and Cheorwon among discharged soldiers after military service, and both patients showed malaria symptoms after discharge.
As veterans are infected with malaria in border areas and then reported as patients in other areas, active management is needed to prevent community transmission.
Accordingly, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency is providing free rapid diagnostic kit tests to discharged soldiers who have shown symptoms of malaria after discharge at public health centers nationwide (for two years after discharge), and the Ministry of National Defense is also providing free malaria tests and treatment prescriptions at 14 military hospitals nationwide (for one year after discharge).
In addition, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the Ministry of National Defense are jointly providing malaria prevention education to those scheduled to be discharged from the military and are making efforts to eradicate malaria in the military, such as prescribing anti-malaria medication to soldiers serving in border areas during their service.
Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Ji Young-mi emphasized, “Military personnel in border areas should spray mosquito repellent to avoid mosquito bites during the main period (June to October) when malaria vectors are active, and use mosquito nets when sleeping outdoors for training or other activities,” and urged them, “If suspicious symptoms such as fever, headache, or chills appear after discharge, be sure to visit a nearby public health center or military hospital and be tested for malaria.”
Military Malaria Prevention Guidelines
◈ From June to October, the main period of mosquito vector activity, wear long sleeves and long pants when going outdoors at night (right after sunset to right before sunrise), and practice preventive measures to avoid mosquito bites by spraying mosquito repellent around the face.
◈ To prevent mosquitoes from entering the dormitory, install screens, recommend the use of mosquito nets when sleeping outdoors for training or other purposes, and use indoor insecticides appropriately.
◈ Unit members who are taking anti-malaria medication must take the prescribed anti-malaria medication.
◈ In the case of discharged soldiers who served or trained in a border area, if symptoms of malaria appear, they should visit a nearby public health center or military hospital and get tested.