For the first time, the average life expectancy for South Koreans has exceeded the average for members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said the average lifespan of South Koreans increased to 79-point-one years in 2006 from 76 years in 2001. The average for OECD members was 78-point-nine years.

Meanwhile, on average, South Korea spent one-thousand-480 dollars per person for medical care, up from 970 dollars in 2001. However, the total was about half the average per capita medical spending, two-thousand-824 dollars, of other OECD member countries.

Moreover, the nation spent a larger portion of its medical spending to cover medication costs than their OECD peers.

The numbers of hospital beds and outpatient treatments in Korea were also higher than the OECD average.