[Characteristics of Notified Tuberculosis Cases in the Republic of Korea, 2023]

In 2023, the total number of notified tuberculosis (TB) cases was 19,540 cases (38.2 cases per 100,000 population), down 4.1% from 2022 (n=20,383, 39.8 cases per 100,000 population). This represents a decrease of 61.3% over 12 consecutive years, with an annual average decrease of 7.6% after reaching the highest level in 2011. In addition, the total number of TB cases for people aged 65 years and older in 2023 was 11,309 cases (119.5 cases per 100,000 population), a 0.1% increase compared to 2022 (n=11,298), and the proportion of TB cases aged 65 years and older was 57.9%. This proportion has been increasing every year since 2000. Furthermore, the total number of foreign TB cases was 1,107 cases, an increase of 3.3% compared to 2022 (n=1,072), and the proportion of foreign TB cases was 5.7%, a slight increase from 2022 (5.3%). In 2023, the number of multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB) cases was 551 and represented a decrease of 1.6% compared to 2022 (n=560), and the proportion of MDR/RR-TB cases among total TB cases was 2.8%. In March 2023, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) established the Third National Strategic Plan for TB Control (2023-2027), which continues TB control projects for TB screening among vulnerable populations, people-centered TB case management, and the operation of a MDR-TB consortium, aiming to decrease the TB incidence rate to less than 20 cases per 100,000 population by 2027.