Minister Cho KyooHong of the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Republic of Korea visited Singapore recently to discuss and advance health cooperation between Korea and Singapore.

During his visit, Minister Cho met with Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State, and Prof. Tan Chorh Chuan, Chairman of the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). He also toured the Biopolis and engaged with local scientists and business leaders to explore avenues for enhancing bilateral health collaboration.

At their meeting, Minister Cho and Senior Minister Puthucheary highly acknowledged the progress made in Korea-Singapore cooperation within the ASEAN region and other international organisations, such as the WHO. They discussed expanding future collaboration to strengthen public health systems and promote the digital health and biohealth industries. They also agreed to initiate discussions on signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise health cooperation in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Korea-Singapore diplomatic relations next year.

Additionally, Minister Cho met with Korean scientists and entrepreneurs in the biohealth sector in Singapore to hear about their success stories and policy recommendations. They discussed ways to enhance global expansion through the ASEAN market and strengthening international joint research. 

Finally, Minister Cho visited Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, a leading name in medical tourism in Asia, to gain an overview of its current status on and support policies for attracting foreign patients. He also exchanged views on the case of Korean medical institution entering the market(Singapore Medical Group).

Based on the diverse feedback gathered from the aforementioned visits, the Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to continuously advance measures to expand market presence in both ASEAN and globally, including by expanding domestic and international joint research, strengthening Korea-Singapore cooperation, and revitalising bioindustrial complex.