The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MoHW), Government of the Republic of Korea has announced its 2024 Action Plan for Key Policies. This year, under the vision of “Healthcare Reform and Welfare for the Weak to Open up the Future,” the Ministry will focus on implementing the four core tasks.

The Ministry will increase the medical workforce by expanding medical school seats and innovating education and training, and overhaul delivery systems and networks to strengthen local healthcare. It will also build a medical accident safety net to reassure both physicians and patients, including the enactment of the Act on Special Cases Concerning Medical Accident, and inject more than KRW 10 trillion by 2028 for fair compensation for essential healthcare services.

Second, the MoHW will implement Welfare for the Weak 2.0 to provide tighter yet wider protection. The Ministry will actively utilise information and communication technologies (ICTs) and artificial intelligence (AI) to advance the system for identifying vulnerable groups, and broaden cooperation with other ministries, local governments, and the private sector.

Third, the Ministry will increase patient care to reduce the burden on families. In order to reduce patient care costs, which have been a source of great burden for the people, the Ministry will revamp the integrated nursing-care service for acute hospital care to increase the scope of eligible patients, and pilot a patient care project for care hospitals in April. 

The ministry will also build a tight-knit support system so that all citizens can access the care services they need. In order to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities and their families, the MoHW will launch a personalised one-on-one care programme for people with profound developmental disabilities.

Fourth, the MoHW will secure future growth engines by innovating healthcare and welfare. The Ministry will reduce the burden of childbirth and childcare by increasing support for infertility and fertility tests, and expand the First Meeting Voucher and Parental Allowance for greater support for childcare expenses.  

For bold investment in biohealth, the Ministry will move forward with the Korean Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) project and the Boston-Korea project, while continuing with the regulatory innovation efforts, including support for global open innovation and the Bio-Health Innovation Commission.