Korea, China, and Japan Discuss Cooperation on Mental Health and Other Health Policy Priorities

- 18th Tripartite Health Ministers’ Meeting held in Seoul -

- Joint Statement adopted on digital and AI-enabled health coverage, healthy ageing, and mental health -

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, Minister Jeong Eun Kyeong) hosted the 18th Tripartite Health Ministers’ Meeting from Saturday, December 13, to Sunday, December 14, at the Conrad Seoul Hotel in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. This year’s meeting was particularly significant as an opportunity for the three East Asian partner countries to identify shared health challenges and strengthen comprehensive cooperation.

This year’s meeting, held in Korea as part of a rotating arrangement among the three countries, was chaired by MOHW Minister Jeong Eun Kyeong. Japan was represented by Ueno Kenichiro, Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, and China by Feng Yong, Director General of the International Cooperation Division of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, who attended as the head of delegation on behalf of Minister Lei Haichao. World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Regional Director Saia Ma’u Piukala and Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) Secretary-General Lee Hee-sup also attended as observers.

In her opening remarks, Minister Jeong expressed appreciation for the continuity and trust built through 18 years of health cooperation. She highlighted that, amid shared structural challenges—including AI- and digital technology-driven changes in the health landscape, population ageing, and the rising burden of chronic diseases—trilateral collaboration to safeguard the health of their populations is of great importance. 

She also expressed hope that forward-looking discussions on AI and digital health, healthy ageing, and mental health would further deepen trilateral cooperation.

The three heads of delegation shared national policy experience and discussed cooperation across three priority areas: universal health coverage (UHC) enabled by AI and digital technologies, healthy and active ageing, and mental health. They reaffirmed that AI and digital technologies serve as transformative enablers for achieving UHC and agreed to work together to expand equity and access to essential health services. The three countries will prioritize collaboration to strengthen digital health systems in rural and underserved areas and share approaches to applying digital technologies in ways that align with each country’s infrastructure and regulatory context.

The three countries also agreed to support the development of integrated care systems that provide health and long-term care services throughout the life course as a way of addressing the common structural challenge of population ageing. They will share national policies and practical experience in long-term care and in health and social care services, and work to advance community-based services and person-centered care.

The delegations further recognized mental health as a critical public health priority that affects quality of life. They agreed to prioritize life-course approaches to suicide prevention, including early identification of high-risk groups and timely intervention mechanisms, and to promote the use of digital tools—including AI-based prediction and diagnostic support technologies—to strengthen suicide-prevention capacity.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the three heads of delegation adopted the Joint Statement of the 18th Tripartite Health Ministers’ Meeting and agreed to continue strengthening trilateral cooperation in the health sector.

Before the main session, delegations from the three countries and the Regional Director of the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) visited Yonsei University Health System’s Severance Hospital on Saturday, December 13, to observe leading examples of digital healthcare and AI applications based on medical data. The delegations received presentations at Severance Hospital’s Institute for AI and Social Innovation on the use of AI for biosignal monitoring and related applications, and toured the institute’s research facilities, deepening their understanding of Korea’s high-tech healthcare environment.

On this occasion, Minister Jeong held bilateral meetings with delegations from China, Japan, and the WHO WPRO, laying the groundwork for expanding international health cooperation beyond the trilateral framework to broader multilateral and regional cooperation.

In her meeting with China, Minister Jeong conveyed Korea’s hope for China’s successful hosting of next year’s APEC meetings and discussed opportunities for mutual cooperation. In her meeting with Japan, held as a follow-up to the Korea–Japan Summit in August, the two sides reviewed progress on cooperation to address shared societal challenges such as low birth rate, ageing, and suicide prevention. Korea proposed holding a working-level meeting to support the practical implementation of suicide-prevention policies in both countries.

With the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office, Korea signed the Second Korea–WPRO Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS*), reaffirming their commitment to strengthening strategic cooperation for a healthier future in the Western Pacific region. The CCS sets out joint priorities across five key areas, including digital health. Under the strategy, the MOHW will share Korea’s best practices in health technology and policy and support Korean experts’ participation in WHO activities, while the WPRO will help disseminate Korea’s achievements to other member states through policy dialogue and monitoring.

   * Country Cooperation Strategy (2026–2030): Digital health; Creating healthy societies; Responding to global health security challenges; Building sustainable health systems; Strengthening strategic cooperation

Minister Jeong stated, “This meeting offered Korea, China, and Japan an opportunity to share practical policy experience and strengthen the foundation for future cooperation in addressing our shared challenges—AI and digital transformation for UHC, ageing, and mental health.” She added, “We will continue to advance international cooperation among the three countries and across the Western Pacific region to promote public health.”

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