[Why&Next] Why Budget Support for 'Hanbang Infertility Treatment' Is Unavailable Despite Low Birthrate

Rising Popularity of Traditional Korean Medicine Infertility Treatments
Local Governments Launch Resident Support Programs
Government Calls It "Premature" Due to Safety Concerns

The photo is unrelated to the article content.

As traditional Korean medicine (Hanbang) treatments gain popularity among infertile couples, local governments facing population extinction crises are rushing to introduce support policies. Meanwhile, the government is reluctant to include Hanbang treatments in low birthrate countermeasures. Although these policies are desired by the public, it is difficult to clearly ascertain their effectiveness, making it impossible to allocate national funds.

Soaring Popularity of Hanbang Infertility Treatments... Local Governments Introduce Support Measures

According to a compilation of Asia Economy's coverage on the 2nd, this year Seoul City decided to support consultations at Korean medicine clinics and the purchase of herbal medicine for infertile couples with unexplained infertility who wish for natural pregnancy. Support is provided up to twice per person, with each treatment period limited to a total of five months. Applicants must be residents of Seoul aged 44 or younger. Seoul aims to resolve infertility for 280 individuals through support for Korean medicine.

Other local governments have also established plans to support Hanbang infertility treatment projects. Daegu City is allocating 45.6 million KRW from its own budget to fully cover 120 days’ worth of herbal medicine for infertile couples. Recruitment began on the 1st, with plans to select 60 participants. Busan City is investing 300 million KRW to support 200 infertile women residing in the city. The program includes eight rounds of 15-day herbal medicine supplies, at least one acupuncture treatment per week, health checkups, and consultations. Gwangju City is also providing approximately 1.24 million KRW per person for medication costs to 80 participants.

Local governments have evaluated that many residents desire support for Hanbang infertility treatments and report high satisfaction levels. In Seoul, satisfaction with the Hanbang infertility treatment support project last year was 87.6%. Moreover, 96.8% of residents responded that the government should support Hanbang infertility treatments at the national level. In Daegu, 69% of supported residents reported being "very satisfied," and 31% said they were "satisfied."

Concerns Over Safety and Effectiveness... "Premature for Government Budget Allocation"

On the other hand, the government maintains a cautious stance on supporting Hanbang infertility treatment projects. Before allocating funds, it must be confirmed whether Hanbang treatments truly help overcome infertility. A Health and Welfare Ministry official, the responsible department, stated, "Last year, we explained that the evidence was not at a level that would fully convince the public," adding, "Although there is a legal basis, it is not a mandatory provision, and the government is not in a position to subsidize projects conducted by local governments."

The Ministry of Economy and Finance also views the Hanbang infertility treatment budget projects as premature. Although the policy was included in last year's budget proposal due to strong demands from members of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, it was rejected due to opposition from the Ministry of Economy and Finance. An official from the ministry said, "To use medical support budgets, safety must be firmly guaranteed," and questioned, "If the government funds a project and adverse effects occur, it would be a serious problem, so budget allocation would be difficult."

Accordingly, the Health and Welfare Ministry reportedly instructed local governments supporting Hanbang infertility treatments to concurrently verify effectiveness. Before Seoul’s Hanbang infertility treatment support project, the ministry conducted a "social security project establishment consultation," recommending analysis of treatment details, pregnancy success and childbirth outcomes, and whether medical procedures were accompanied. In particular, it pointed out, "Compared to medical infertility treatments, clinical evidence is insufficient and treatment techniques are not standardized," emphasizing the need for clinical monitoring of safety and efficacy.

Hanbang Sector: "Korean Medicine Diagnosis Useful" vs Western Medicine Sector: "Concerning"

Opinions differ on whether Hanbang treatments are truly effective for infertility. The success rates of Hanbang infertility treatments disclosed by local governments are about 15-20%. Gyeonggi Province reported providing 209 Hanbang infertility treatments in 2022, with 35 women achieving pregnancy, resulting in a pregnancy rate of 16.7%. In Daegu City, 95 people participated in Hanbang infertility treatments last year; 74 completed treatment, and 7 (17.9%) succeeded in becoming pregnant. However, these statistics merely show temporal relationships and do not scientifically establish causality. Considering patients who also underwent Western medical treatments, the local government announcements alone are insufficient to prove effectiveness.

The Hanbang and Western medicine sectors present differing research results and opposing views. The Hanbang sector claims that Hanbang treatments are effective for infertility. A research team from Dong-Eui University Korean Medicine Hospital published an analysis of 453 women participating in the Korean medicine infertility support project last year in the international journal BMC. The study, which analyzed 49 women who succeeded in becoming pregnant, concluded that Korean medicine diagnosis and treatment systems are useful for infertile women.

Conversely, the Western medicine sector strongly opposes the Hanbang infertility treatment support project. On January 30, the Korean Medical Association held a press conference titled "Opposition to Hanbang Infertility Treatment Support Act Without Scientific Evidence." Kim Gyo-woong, chairman of the KMA’s Special Committee on Hanbang Measures, who attended the conference, criticized, "Several herbal medicines used in infertility treatments have shown toxicity causing miscarriage or malformations in animal experiments, according to domestic and international studies," adding, "The very high miscarriage rates observed in related research and support projects are also concerning."