South Korea plans to revise related laws to allow South Korean citizens to receive treatment at foreign hospitals to be set up within the nation's free economic zones (FEZ).

The ministries of Finance and Health have reportedly reached common ground on the revisions and plan to submit their proposal in a bill to the National Assembly in September.

But the government ministries and medical sectors are not seeing eye to eye on the issue in regard to its possible societal repercussions.

Opponents have raised concerns of wealthy people flocking to the foreign hospitals, further widening the gap between the haves and the have-nots. But the government says that local patients treated at foreign hospitals will not be covered by medical insurance.

South Korea plans to build special economic zones in Incheon, Busan and Gwangyang.

Currently, a 150-bed hospital is planned to be set up in Incheon by the year 2008.