Busan Office of Education to Greatly Expand Support for Treatment Costs for Students with Type 1 Diabetes and Intractable Diseases

36 Billion KRW Allocated from Own Budget Starting in 2026
Expanded Eligibility and Support Scale to Strengthen Protection of Students' Right to Learn

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education will significantly expand both the eligibility and the scale of financial support for medical treatment costs for students in Busan suffering from type 1 diabetes or intractable diseases starting next year.

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent Kim Seokjun) announced on December 24 that, beginning in 2026, it will expand its program to support treatment costs for students with type 1 diabetes and intractable diseases by allocating its own budget, so that these students can continue to enjoy a healthy school life.

Type 1 diabetes, commonly referred to as "juvenile diabetes," is a chronic disease in which the pancreas does not produce insulin, making blood sugar regulation difficult. As of early 2025, there are 148 students with type 1 diabetes and 963 students with intractable diseases enrolled in schools in Busan.

Until now, the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education has provided treatment cost support only to some low-income students, using donations collected through an agreement with the Busan Community Chest of Korea. However, reflecting feedback from the field regarding the limitations in both the scope and scale of support, the office has decided to significantly expand the coverage by using its own budget starting next year.

To this end, the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education completed a prior consultation on social security systems with the Ministry of Health and Welfare in October. After budget deliberations, it secured a dedicated budget of 3.6 billion KRW for treatment cost support.

The scope of support will also be greatly expanded. This year, only 69 students with type 1 diabetes or intractable diseases received a total of 1.455 billion KRW in treatment support through the Community Chest’s donations. However, starting in 2026, the plan is to provide treatment cost support of 300,000 KRW per person to 200 students with type 1 diabetes-reflecting the annual increase in such students-and 3 million KRW per person to 100 students with intractable diseases.

Previously, support was mainly provided to low-income students through donations, but from next year, the use of the education office’s own budget will expand eligibility to include general students as well. This is expected to provide practical assistance to students and families facing academic difficulties due to the burden of medical expenses. In addition, the office will continue to provide support through donations from the Busan Community Chest of Korea.

Kim Seokjun, Superintendent of the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, stated, "We have established an institutional foundation to ensure that students’ right to learn is not restricted due to health issues," adding, "Based on the secured budget and the results of our consultations, we will implement the program without delay so that it can be stably established in the field."