Discussion on the 'Korean New Deal' at This Week's First Emergency Economic Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters Meeting

[Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] The government will discuss the direction of the Korean New Deal at the first Emergency Economic Central Countermeasures Headquarters meeting held this week and will identify detailed projects with related ministries.

According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance on the 26th, the first Emergency Economic Central Countermeasures Headquarters meeting scheduled for the 29th will discuss the direction of the Korean New Deal and the formation of an inter-ministerial planning team.

The Korean New Deal is likely to include non-face-to-face service industries that have gained attention due to COVID-19, such as telemedicine and Edutech (online education services). Telemedicine refers to medical treatment and prescriptions delivered through communication technology. Although a smartwatch with electrocardiogram (ECG) measurement functionality was developed several years ago, it was only released this year after being selected for the ICT regulatory sandbox demonstration exemption. Until then, measuring ECG with a smartwatch and transmitting it to a doctor was prohibited under current medical law.

Globally, telemedicine has also gained attention due to COVID-19. Consulting firm McKinsey explained in its report "Digital Strategy in Times of Crisis" that "healthcare providers are facing a surge in demand for services while traditional channels (face-to-face consultations) are limited," and "this has become an opportunity to rapidly test and apply telemedicine protocols."

Edutech, a non-face-to-face education service technology, has also gained attention due to COVID-19 and online school openings. Edutech refers to e-learning that integrates advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and virtual reality (VR). In the report "Study on Establishing a Digital New Deal Strategy for National Balanced Development," commissioned by the National Balanced Development Committee in December last year, expanding education infrastructure based on Edutech was presented as one of the digital New Deal tasks.

In addition, policies previously promoted by the government, such as smart factories and smart cities, may also become part of the Korean New Deal projects.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.