Jeong Gi-seok, the director of the National Health Insurance Service, said, "Deaths caused by smoking occur at a level similar to that of an airplane accident happening more than once every day," and noted, "Despite this, the harmfulness of cigarettes is not being accepted in the legal process."
On the morning of 20th, Director Jeong made this statement during a New Year meeting held at the Yangpyeong branch of the National Health Insurance Service in Yeouido, Seoul, regarding the damage compensation lawsuit filed against tobacco companies since 2014.
Director Jeong stated, "The court ruled in the first instance that there was a possibility that people who developed lung cancer due to smoking may have developed the disease for reasons other than smoking," and added, "Although the Health Insurance Service provided data on patients who would not develop lung cancer if not for tobacco, it was not accepted."
The Health Insurance Service has been pursuing a damage compensation lawsuit against tobacco companies since 2014. The essence of the lawsuit is that tobacco companies should cover the medical expenses incurred by the Health Insurance Service due to smoking.
Six years after initiating the lawsuit, the first instance ruling was made in 2020, but the Health Insurance Service lost. The Health Insurance Service has appealed, and the appeal is currently ongoing. On the 15th of last month, Director Jeong personally attended the 11th hearing held at the Seoul High Court to directly argue about the harmfulness of tobacco, expressing his determination regarding this lawsuit.
Director Jeong remarked, "Previously, when a firefighter sued due to developing lung cancer during the Daegu subway fire incident, a ruling was made stating that the lung cancer was caused by smoking." He noted, "While the general knowledge that tobacco causes lung cancer was accepted, we lost the case against the tobacco companies."
He directly refuted the claims of companies stating there is no addiction potential for tobacco, which is one of the key issues in this lawsuit.
Director Jeong stated, "The companies' claim that there is no addiction potential because nicotine receptors disappear when quitting smoking was cited," and added, "However, until one completely quits smoking, the receptors remain, making it difficult to quit." He continued, "Although these debates may make it hard for the court to make a judgment, I will fight this issue to the end."
Director Jeong also unveiled plans for key projects of the Health Insurance Service this year. In order to achieve financial soundness for the Health Insurance Service, he plans to enhance benefit analysis functions, promote appropriate medical treatment, and expand confirmation visits by special judicial police to ensure efficient financial expenditures.
He mentioned, "Recently, among complaints, there was a case where a flu patient in their 40s who went to the emergency room was over-treated," and added, "Upon checking the complaints, it turned out that unnecessary tests for AIDS, rheumatism, and syphilis were still being conducted in some hospitals for flu patients." He emphasized, "We plan to strengthen the management function for unreasonable treatments that are obviously absurd."
The Health Insurance Service plans to establish a children's hospital at Ilsan Hospital. The plan is to establish the children's hospital to expand essential medical services in the region while also utilizing it as an infectious disease specialty hospital in case of emergencies. Director Jeong stated, "We will establish a pediatric treatment system in the northern Gyeonggi region to strengthen essential medical services and local health care functions."