Domestic tuberculosis patients have been declining at an average annual rate of 7.5% since the peak in 2011, but the proportion of patients aged 65 and over reached a record high of 62.5% last year. The total number of tuberculosis patients decreased by 4.9% compared to 2024 to 17,700 in 2025, but the number of elderly patients is on the rise. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency emphasized the need to enhance the tuberculosis management system, including expanding preemptive examinations for the elderly and foreigners, and strengthening early diagnosis and treatment linkage. To achieve the government's goal of reducing the tuberculosis incidence rate to 20 or less per 100,000 people by 2027, it is important to strengthen the management of vulnerable groups.
