보건복지부 영문홈페이지

Expanding Korea-ASEAN Cooperation Beyond Health to Welfare

- A seminar was held to strengthen Korea-ASEAN cooperation in health and welfare -

- Themed "The Future of Health and Welfare Services Driven by Advanced Technology,"

the seminar was attended by participants from 10 ASEAN member countries, Korean institutions specializing in medical informatics, academia, and digital healthcare companies -

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (Minister Cho KyooHong), in collaboration with the Mission of the Republic of Korea to ASEAN, hosted a seminar to enhance health and welfare cooperation between Korea and ASEAN on Wednesday, June 26, at Dragon City Seoul.

The seminar, themed "The Future of Health and Welfare Services Driven by Advanced Technology," aimed to extend the existing cooperation in the health sector between Korea and ASEAN* to the welfare sector, thereby strengthening bilateral cooperation. This is the first government-led event of its kind held in Korea.

* Since the ASEAN-Korea Health Dialogue Session in August 2020, annual meetings have been held. In 2022, a ministerial-level meeting was established, with the first ASEAN-Korea Health Ministers' Meeting taking place in Bali, Indonesia.

The event was attended by mid-level officials from the health and welfare departments of the 10 ASEAN member countries, as well as over 20 officials from the ASEAN Secretariat.

* Attendance from ASEAN member countries and the ASEAN Secretariat (23 participants from 10 countries): Brunei (2), Cambodia (2), Indonesia (1), Laos (2), Malaysia (2), Myanmar (2), Philippines (2), Singapore (2), Thailand (4), Vietnam (1), Secretariat (3).

The seminar comprised two sessions: the first focused on "Status and Directions of Digital Health Policy," and the second on "Enhancing Care Services Using Advanced Technology." The sessions included case studies from the National Health Insurance Service and the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, as well as presentations by Oak Chul-ho, Professor at Kosin University, and Kang Dong Yoon, Professor at the University of Ulsan, along with other officials from digital healthcare businesses, followed by related discussions.

Kim Hye-jin, Deputy Minister for Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, emphasized the “need for new solutions to provide better health and welfare services amid the increasing demand due to demographic and social changes.” She also stated, "We will strengthen cooperation between Korea and ASEAN to ensure that all citizens can enjoy healthy and happy lives through the use of advanced technologies such as digital health."

Lee Jang-keun, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to ASEAN stated, "Both Korea and ASEAN have recognized the importance of uninterrupted medical and care services during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Through this seminar, I look forward to discussing with ASEAN how to apply non-contact and advanced technologies to ensure that essential services like medical and care can be provided stably in the face of future crises."

Chindavengh Chentaireudet, Director of the ASEAN International Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of the Lao PDR, who attended as the representative of Laos, said, "I am grateful for the warm hospitality of the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare. Since health and welfare are inseparable in promoting inclusive health, I hope this occasion will create a synergistic effect in the cooperation between ASEAN and Korea in the health and welfare sectors."

Following the seminar, officials from ASEAN member countries and the ASEAN Secretariat will visit Wonju and Gunpo from June 27 to June 28* to observe the digital transformation in the public sector and experience use cases of digital health technologies in care services, gaining insights into the future of health and welfare policies leveraging advanced technologies.

* (June 27) Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, National Health Insurance Service Age-Friendly Research Center (Wonju)
(June 28) Seoul City Nambu Silver Care Center (Gunpo)