The President of the National Health Insurance Service Abruptly Resigns... Reshuffling Also in Welfare Ministry Subordinates and Related Agencies

Kang Do-tae, President of the National Health Insurance Service, who retired on the 6th.

The sudden resignation on the 6th of Kang Do-tae, Chairman of the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), who had 1 year and 10 months left in his term, has sparked ongoing speculation. Despite last year's employee embezzlement incident, he remained in position by proposing reform measures and actively engaged in activities such as announcing the NHIS operational direction for the new year at a press briefing last month. As a result, some speculate that the 'higher-ups' may have pressured him out, judging that the leader of 'Moon Jae-in Care' was unsuitable to lead the current administration's health insurance reform efforts.

In his farewell remarks, Chairman Kang stated, "The government's plans to enhance the sustainability of health insurance and strengthen support for essential medical services and vulnerable groups have been finalized," adding, "Our NHIS must prepare detailed implementation plans for the tasks assigned to us and carry them out faithfully." He continued, "I believe it is important to vigorously promote health insurance reform, the development of long-term care insurance, and innovation in the management system from a new perspective," and expressed, "With hopes that health insurance, long-term elderly care insurance, and our NHIS will soar higher, stronger, and newer, I would like to pass on this role to my successor."

Although Chairman Kang was appointed during the previous administration, he was regarded as having a weak political affiliation, being a former Ministry of Health and Welfare bureaucrat. He served as Director-General of the Health Insurance Policy Bureau, Director of the Health and Medical Policy Office, Director of the Planning and Coordination Office, and Second Vice Minister at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and was appointed NHIS Chairman in December 2021, near the end of the Moon Jae-in government. Consequently, his sudden resignation has caused a sense of confusion within the NHIS. Most executives and employees were unaware of his departure until just before it happened, and it is reported that Chairman Kang held only a brief farewell without a separate retirement ceremony.

Heads of affiliated organizations under the Ministry of Health and Welfare have been successively replaced during the current administration due to term expirations and other reasons. Chairman Kang is the second among heads of Ministry-affiliated agencies appointed by the previous government to leave before completing their terms. Earlier, Kim Yong-jin, former Chairman of the National Pension Service, resigned in April last year with 1 year and 4 months remaining in his term. Kim Sun-min, President of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, will end his term on the 20th of next month, and a search for his successor is underway. It is also reported that Lee Tae-soo, President of the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, who faced 'parachute appointment' controversies at the time of his appointment by the previous government, is under pressure to resign. The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs is a government-funded research institute under the Prime Minister's Office and conducts numerous research projects commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

It is expected to take some time before a new NHIS Chairman is appointed. The NHIS Chairman is appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the Minister of Health and Welfare, following a recommendation from the Executive Recommendation Committee.