Malaria in South Korea: Poverty’s Hidden Role

Published with The Borgen Project.

Malaria in South Korea is climbing near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the divide between North and South Korea. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) raised a nationwide malaria warning on August 19, 2025. This came after it detected the year’s first mosquito in Korea carrying the Plasmodium vivax parasite.

This strain hadn’t been prevalent outside of military officials since the ’90s. However, officials and citizens are rallying together to fight for accessible health care and transportation options in rural areas.

Malaria’s Borderland Comeback

The return of Plasmodium vivax malaria in 1993 had spread mainly among soldiers stationed along the DMZ. Studies estimate that 60% and 90% of cases during this period were young men in their early 20s performing mandatory service near the northern edge of Gyeonggi Province, alongside the DMZ. These troops often lived outdoors in field conditions, which increased their exposure to infected mosquitoes.

Since then, malaria in South Korea has persisted in the regions surrounding the border, making the borderland a place vulnerable to disease due to its limited resources and health care. Today, rural civilians and military personnel make up most new cases of malaria. Farms and rice paddies serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

As of August 2025, South Korea reported 373 malaria cases and health officials project the number will rise as the peak season continues through September. Since infected mosquitoes refuse to stop at the border between North and South Korea, transmission continues unchecked as they travel into rural South Korean cities.

Rice Paddies: Perfect Breeding Ground for Mosquitoes

Rice paddies provide perfect breeding grounds for Anopheles mosquitoes, the primary sources of malaria in South Korea. Research shows that more than 50% of Anopheles sinensis larvae are discovered in rice paddies near the western DMZ region, including areas like Ganghwa and Paju. These flood-prone plains and rice fields provide an ideal environment for mosquitoes to breed and spread throughout rural South Korea.

Malaria transmission is especially widespread near border villages, such as Wolgot‑myeon in Gimpo‑si and Naega‑myeon in Ganghwa‑gun. This highlights the urgent need for resources to combat the growing health crisis as malaria spreads in these rural communities.

Poverty: The Quiet Catalyst

Poverty, poor housing and health care gaps drive the spread of malaria in South Korea, reminding us that this is not just a mosquito problem. Malaria outbreaks are inequality crises that demand urgent solutions.

• Health care gaps: Near the DMZ, clinics are far away and few are between the cities lining the border. Residents often face lengthy journeys and high transportation costs to access care. Delays in diagnosis and treatment give malaria parasites more time to spread and multiply.

• Housing conditions: Underserved households often lack essential resources, needing mosquito nets, materials to seal windows and proper air conditioning. This leaves residents vulnerable on hot summer nights when mosquitoes are more prone to bite.

• Outdoor working conditions: Farmers and forestry workers labor at dawn and dusk, right when Anopheles mosquitoes bite the most. In rural areas, these work environments are often highly staffed, which can significantly increase the disease’s transmission rate.

• Elderly poverty: South Korea has one of the highest elderly poverty rates in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and many older residents live in rural DMZ counties. These seniors remain both highly exposed and medically vulnerable due to the lack of support and resources available in rural areas.

The Malaria Trap

Malaria in South Korea not only threatens health but also directly impacts the livelihoods of the rural cities along the DMZ. A review found that families bear most of malaria’s economic burden, accounting for an average of 71% of the total costs, including lost wages and health care expenses. Each infection forces workers to miss days in the fields, reduces wages and drains already limited household resources.

Even under universal health care, costs for medication, hospital visits and transportation weigh heavily on those infected with malaria, as many rural cities don’t have health care facilities available. Although the public transportation system in South Korea is well-developed, vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected by transportation costs to health care facilities.

Globally, malaria traps low-income families in a vicious cycle: illness reduces income, limiting access to transportation, health care and medicine, which in turn makes preventing future infections harder. Experts call this the “malaria trap” because it keeps people in a never-ending loop.

Groups Tackling Malaria in South Korea

Tackling malaria in South Korea requires more than mosquito control and pesticides. The fight demands coordinated efforts between government agencies, international organizations and community-based groups. Several agencies and organizations are working to contain malaria near the DMZ, which is proving difficult to change overnight.

• The Korean Red Cross: The Korean Red Cross operates mobile clinics, health programs and disaster relief services across South Korea. It often fills gaps where access is limited. While it doesn’t focus specifically on malaria, its outreach and emergency services support rural and border communities that would otherwise go without care.

• Against Malaria Foundation Korea (AMF Korea): Founded in August 2023 in Seoul, AMF Korea is the local arm of the globally acclaimed Against Malaria Foundation. It distributes long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) to high-risk communities. AMF Korea’s cost-effective, data-driven model and grassroots presence in Korea highlight the potential for local-level malaria prevention efforts.

Additionally, the South Korean government has implemented a five-year plan to eradicate the disease. The strategy focuses on ensuring that everyone can access malaria testing and treatment. It also emphasizes monitoring and evaluating the spread of the disease. The plan also aims to build a network linking public agencies, private organizations and the military to coordinate efforts and contain malaria transmission in South Korea.

Conclusion

The resurgence of malaria in South Korea demonstrates that gross domestic product rankings or international borders cannot deter infectious diseases. The parasite thrives wherever poverty leaves people vulnerable, especially near a Korean rice paddy under the shadow of the DMZ.

Local and global organizations have driven significant progress, but expanding access to health care and medicine in South Korea’s rural communities will have the most profound impact. To eliminate malaria for good, South Korea and its partners must continue fighting mosquitoes and the inequality that allows the disease to persist.

– Nicole Fernandez

Nicole is based in Reno, NV, USA and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.