Abstract - Health and Social Care Policies for Ageing Population in Korea

This study examines recent policy trends and issues in health and social systems for the ageing population in Korea. The study outlines the health and social care system and structure in Korea in terms of delivery, financing and regulations, in order to understand the context behind the health and social care system for the elderly population, and its recent development in Korea.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare in Korea reported its welfare plans for the year 2013 to President Park GH on March. In the briefing session, the Ministry showed a strong will to faithfully conduct national agendas (15 agendas by the Ministry) for customized welfare, working welfare, and overcoming the low birth rates and aging issues. The policy road map covers 6 areas:

1. Introducing a basic pension system to make every generation happy. The Ministry reported that it will operate a "basic pension system" beginning July, 2014 to secure stable earnings in life after retirement.
2. Strengthening medical coverage for the 4 serious diseases. The national health insurance will cover essential treatment for the four serious diseases, namely cancer, diseases of the heart, brain, and blood vessels which are burdensome to patients.
3. Realising people centred administration by removing partitions. The Ministry reported that it will take the lead in realizing people-centered administration by removing unnecessary partitions between ministries, and suggested plans to cooperate with other Ministries on several tasks. It said that it will cooperate on future population changes with assistance from other ministries.
4. The elderly long term care insurance system. The elderly long-term care insurance system is a social insurance scheme intended to give greater security to those elderly who cannot take care of themselves in daily activities including bathing and housework due to weak physical condition or geriatric diseases and to reduce the burden on their families by providing various services including support for physical activities and housework.
5. Residential and medical welfare facilities for the elderly. Residential welfare facilities include nursing homes, elderly group homes, and elderly welfare housing; and medical welfare facilities include elderly care facilities and elderly care group homes.
6. Community elderly service agencies. Provisions are made for such agencies to collect from residents services provided: in-home care, day and night care, short-term care, in-home bathing service, and in-home support services e.g. counselling and education.

About the Speaker - Prof Sung-Nam CHO

Professor Department of Sociology Ewha Womans University Seoul,
Department of Sociology Ewha Womans University

EDUCATION
Ph. D. University of Hawaii, (Honolulu, U.S.A.) in Sociology, December 1988
M.A. Ewha Womans University (Seoul, Korea) in Sociology, August 1979
B.A. Ewha Womans University (Seoul, Korea) in Sociology, February 1977

EXPERIENCE & SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Acting President, Medical Peace Foundation (2013, 7-present)
Vice President, Medical Peace Foundation (2011.6-2013.6)
President, Korean Federation of Women Professors, (2011.1.1-2012.2.29)
Director, The Research Institute for Social Science, Ewha Womans Univ. (2006.2-2010.7)
Professor, Department of Sociology, Ewha Womans University (Seoul, Korea) (1990.3-2014 present)
Dean, International Education Institute, Ewha Womans University (1997-2001)
President, Green Leaders Forum, (2008.12-2014. present)
President, Korean Association of Urban and Population Studies, (2008.6-2010.8)
Vice President (President elect,-from 2010.12), Korean Federation of Women Professors (2009.1~2010.12)
Vice President, Korean Sociological Association (2005.12-2006.12)
Vice President, Korean Association of Health Sociology (2005.12-2009.12)
Chairperson, Committee on the Healing Functional Game Forum, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea (2008.7- 2009.12.31)
Committee Member, Committee on National Statistics, Korea National Statistical Office (2008.6- 2014 present)
Executive Committee, Esquire Academic and Cultural Foundation (2007.2-2013.6) Co-Representative, Korea Family Academia, (2000-2014. present)
Executive Committee, Korea Institute for Family Culture (2011.10-2014.2 present)
OECD World Forum 2009, Coordinating Member (2009.4~2009.12)
Advisory Committee, The 4th Future Korea Report, organized by Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) (2005.11-2006.6)
Chairperson, Organizing Committee, International Conference, "Global Futures of World Regions", organized by Korean Sociological Association, (2005.12-2006.10)
Co-Representative, Heal-Tech Society (2003.10- present)
Executive Committee for International Affairs, Korean Sociological Association (2004.12-2005.12)
Visiting Professor, Center for Korean Studies, University of Hawaii, (2003.2-2003.8)
Associate Dean, International Education Institute, Ewha Womans Univ. (1997.10-2001.7)
Visiting Professor, Univ. of Southern California, Andrew Gerontology Center (1997.9-1998.2)
Chair, Department of Sociology, Ewha Womans University (1995.3-1997.2)
Assistant Professor, Ewha Womans University (1990.3-1995.2)
Instructor, Ewha Womans University, Yonsei University, Sugang University, Hongik University (Seoul, Korea) (1989.3-1990.2)
Researcher, The Population and Development Center, Seoul National Univ. (1989.3-1990.2)
Instructor, University of Hawaii (Honolulu, U.S.A.) (1987.8-1988.5)
Researcher, Population Institute, East-West Center (Honolulu, U.S.A.),
"A Study of Entrepreneurship among Korean & Filipino Immigrants" (Principal Investigator: Dr. James Fawcett)(1988.3-1988.5) Researcher, Population Institute, East-West Center (Honolulu, U.S.A.),
"A Study of Family Planning Program Evaluation in Cheju Island, Korea,"(Principal Investigator: Drs. James Palmore & Lee-Jai Cho) (1980.10-1981.2) Research Intern, Culture Learning Institute, East-West Center,
"A Cross-cultural study of Ethnic Conflict & Communication"(Prinicipal Investigator: Dr. David Wu) (1979.10-1980.9)
Research Associate, Korea Institute of Science & Technology,"A Research on the Big-Corporations and Social Responsibility in Korea," (with Dr. Hong-Ik Chung) (1978.7-1979.2)