The Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 31st announced "major health and welfare achievements in the first year of the Lee Jae-myung administration," including building a basic safety net for people's livelihoods, strengthening the foundation of regional, essential and public health care, and fostering the biohealth industry.
The first achievement is building a universal basic livelihood safety net. The ministry expanded the level of basic living benefits to a maximum of 2,078,000 won per month for a family of four and, for the first time in 26 years, abolished the support obligation cost for medical aid. In addition, as of last year, the National Pension Service's fund management revenue rate hit a record high of 18.82%, and the "Just Give" program, which provides food and daily necessities free of charge to vulnerable groups, was also expanded nationwide.
It also cited the establishment of a foundation for regional, essential and public health care as an achievement. The ministry evaluated as a key result its decision, based on scientific projections of health care workforce supply and social discussions, to expand medical school enrollment. Accordingly, after a total of seven meetings of the Health and Medical Policy Deliberation Committee, it decided to increase medical school seats by 3,342 over the next five years.
It also completed six essential legislative measures to strengthen regional, essential and public health care and is working to improve the emergency medical system and ease people's medical cost burdens by promoting a pilot project to innovate the emergency patient transport system.
Achievements in fostering the biohealth industry also stood out. Last year's biohealth exports reached $27.9 billion (about 42 trillion won), the largest ever. In particular, exports in the pharmaceuticals and bio sectors surpassed $10 billion for the first time, and K-beauty exports also hit $11.4 billion, setting a record high. The number of foreign patients attracted surpassed 2 million for the first time.
The ministry also highlighted as a major achievement the strengthening of the state's responsibility for care through building an integrated care system and expanding child allowances.
Minister Jung Eun-kyeong said, "On the 1st, we broadened the safety net for the socially vulnerable, strengthened the public nature of health care, and expanded the foundation for national growth engines," adding, "We will do our best to build a warm and healthy Korea where all people can feel at ease and prepare for the future."