Resumption of the Confirmation Hearing for the Minister of Health and Welfare Nominee
Health and Welfare Minister nominee Cho Kyu-hong is attending the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 27th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
Cho Gyu-hong, nominee for Minister of Health and Welfare (photo), announced that he will actively engage in discussions on reforming the National Pension and Health Insurance systems. He also promised to provide thorough and robust protection for vulnerable groups and to continue innovations for the sustainability of health and welfare.
In his opening remarks at the resumed confirmation hearing of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee on the afternoon of the 27th, Cho stated, "If entrusted with the ministerial role, I will innovate welfare investment to create a virtuous cycle between welfare and growth and enhance the sustainability of welfare."
Cho first said, "We will develop new social services that meet the needs of dual-income families, youth, and single-person households, and establish a high-quality supply system through expanded private sector participation and regulatory innovation to provide diverse and high-quality social services." He pledged to ease caregiving burdens by introducing parental benefits to support work-family balance and to respond to the low birthrate crisis by reorganizing the population policy implementation system.
He continued, "We will promote National Pension reform that enables intergenerational coexistence," emphasizing, "We will discuss reform plans based on the ongoing 5th financial calculation of the National Pension and pursue reforms grounded in social consensus through detailed opinion gathering. In this process, we will closely cooperate with the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Pension Reform."
Plans are also in place to strengthen preventive and proactive health investments, such as linking long-term care and medical services, managing chronic disease prevention, and introducing nationwide mental health screenings. In particular, regarding the Health Insurance system, he promised, "We will strengthen coverage focusing on socially demanded items such as essential medical care and high-cost essential drugs, while carefully managing finances to secure the system’s sustainability and fiscal soundness."
He expressed his determination to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable groups and improve their quality of life through thorough and robust support. Cho stated, "We will actively protect low-income groups from livelihood insecurity and urgent crises through solidifying livelihood benefits, emergency welfare support, and expanding catastrophic medical expenses," adding, "We will expand caregiving support for persons with disabilities and reinforce safety nets with tailored support for vulnerable groups across life stages such as children and the elderly, as well as for those preparing for independence, family caregivers, socially isolated youth, and solitary deaths."
Regarding the response to COVID-19, he committed to maintaining the public’s daily life while implementing precise targeted quarantine measures for vulnerable infection areas. The plan is to refine quarantine policies based on the experience and accumulated data from the past two years and eight months of COVID-19 response, vaccines and treatments, and medical response capabilities.
Cho said, "We will selectively identify vulnerable groups to proactively block infections and prevent severe cases through rapid testing and treatment prescriptions for high-risk groups," adding, "Furthermore, we will strengthen the permanent infectious disease response system by expanding emergency treatment beds and continue transitioning to a general medical system."
Additionally, he announced plans to expand essential medical services to ensure timely access to life-critical healthcare anytime and anywhere, prepare measures for medically underserved areas, and boost the vitality of the biohealth industry through increased investment in bio-sector research and development, as well as the establishment of K-Bio and vaccine funds.
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