Prof. Nam Hyun-joo, dean of Gachon University’s Graduate School of Social Policy, said, “The expanding of services tailored to meet each district’s demands, , the securing of manpower and the restructuring of fiscal governance are badly needed to prevent a care gap.”
Prof. Nam made the remarks while speaking about the roles and significance of the long-term care insurance system for the elderly at the 2025 Long-Term Care Policy Forum, which was held at the aT Center in Seoul on July 15.
Kim Soo-kyung, head of the Integrated Care Support Office at the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) spoke about the current status of the participating in integrated care support projects and NHIS’s preparations.
Prof. Nam said, “In Korean society, which has already entered a super-aging era, the long-term care insurance system is a key policy of protecting the elderly’s dignified life and sharing their family’s care burden.”
Prof. Nam stressed institutional reform in consideration of sustainability and fairness, saying the long-term care insurance system should pursue a general care regime in which any citizen in the country uses it when needed.
He stressed the need for the establishment of a care system tailored to meet each district’s needs, and he mentioned the need for sharing functions and promoting cooperation among the central government and local governments.
Prof. Nam said the central government has to be responsible for building infrastructure and easing service gaps, and working out benefit standards, and local governments for care tailored to each district’s needs.
Citing an example in Germany, Prof. Nam spoke about the need for protecting unofficial caretakers, such as the introduction of care credits and transition to paid leave.
He proposed the establishment of an independent fiscal committee designed to secure fiscal transparency.
Prof. Lee Yoon-hwan of Ajou University chaired a panel discussion on care and restructuring the fiscal burden.
Prof. Noh Yong-kyun of Hallym University, Prof. Kim Hyung-yong of Dongkuk University, Chmn. Cho Nam-beom of Korea Association of Community Care for The Elderly and Chairperson Kang Jung-hwa of the Consumers Union of Korea participated in the discussion.
Prof. Noh of Hallym University said care is not a personal responsibility, but social right. He stressed the need for institutionalization and legislation and cited a shortage of nursing manpower and lack of institutional awareness.
He discussed the restructuring of insurance coverage categories and institutional reform.
Prof. Kim of Dongkuk University shared outcomes of a data analysis indicating the fact that the expanding of long-term care insurance coverage contributed to reducing the suicide rate of the elderly.
He suggested that NHIS should play a pivotal role in each district’s care delivery system.
‘Outcry against Tobacco Industry’s Deceit
The National Health Insurance Service said a pan-national campaign to collect signatures in support of a historic lawsuit against tobacco companies attracted 1.5 million participants, surpassing its initial goal of collecting 1 million signatures.
Lots of people were united, saying, “The deceit of tobacco companies can no longer be tolerated.”
The signature support drive was originally scheduled to run from March 24 to May 31, but it was extended until June 30 on the back of strong and widespread interest.
The signature campaign was a message to tobacco companies, which have neglected public health and people’s voices.
Participants vented anger, saying there were people suffering from lunger cancer and laryngeal cancer, but tobacco companies had never taken responsibility.
Health and legal experts shared the view that the cause-and-effect relationship between smoking and diseases had been proven scientifically.
They stressed the need for institutional responsibility, saying that now is the time to discuss legal and social responsibility.
Anti-smoking civic organizations and consumer bodies claimed that public health cannot be victimized from a prospective of corporate profit and public interests should be preferred.
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