[Q&A] Vice Minister of Economy and Finance: "Actively Considering the Introduction of Remote Medical Care... Discussion in the 21st National Assembly"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] Kim Yong-beom, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, stated on the 14th, "The Ministry of Economy and Finance holds the position that the introduction of non-face-to-face medical services is necessary," and added, "We hope that the 21st National Assembly will actively discuss the amendment of the Medical Service Act."

Vice Minister Kim made these remarks during a briefing on the results of the 3rd Emergency Economic Central Countermeasures Headquarters meeting held at the Government Seoul Office on the same day.

He added, "I do not think that the position regarding the introduction of telemedicine, which has been previously announced, differs from the remarks and direction of Chief Kim."

The following is a Q&A session with Vice Minister Kim.

▲The direct jobs for youth seem difficult to avoid being criticized as 'short-term part-time jobs.'

=Due to the rapid deterioration of the economy caused by COVID-19, the private sector's capacity to independently create employment has been constrained. Accordingly, expanding public sector jobs is inevitable and is also a natural responsibility of the government. The 550,000 direct jobs this time are not limited to youth but cover all age groups. For young people facing difficulties in job searching, digital jobs that help with employment, such as content planning or management, will be operated. This is intended to quickly alleviate difficulties and provide work experience. Once the government plays its primary role, it is expected that employment creation capacity in the private sector will recover with the transition to living quarantine and the easing of lockdown measures in other countries.

▲What is the Ministry of Economy and Finance's stance on promoting telemedicine?

=The Ministry of Economy and Finance is also actively reviewing and maintaining the basic position that the introduction of non-face-to-face medical services is necessary. Infrastructure reinforcement and expansion to extend the pilot project, which was temporarily introduced due to COVID-19, are being concretized. For full-scale non-face-to-face medical services, legal and institutional foundations are also necessary. Complementary institutional improvements addressing issues such as liability concerns raised by the medical community, insurance fees, and polarization must be carried out simultaneously. We hope that the 21st National Assembly will actively discuss the amendment of the Medical Service Act for full-scale non-face-to-face medical services.

▲There is backlash mainly from self-employed people regarding the nationwide employment safety net promotion.

=First, we plan to promptly apply the social discussions that have taken place so far to special-type workers and artists. We will make every effort to expedite the amendment of the Employment Insurance Act currently pending in the National Assembly and complete the related legal amendments this year so that special-type workers, platform workers, and artists can receive benefits starting next year. The timing and method of additional application for self-employed people and others will be reviewed and promoted step-by-step after sufficient opinion gathering.

▲President Moon has decided to receive a report on the Green New Deal. What is the context amid the ongoing promotion of the Korean New Deal?

=The Green New Deal is valuable in itself and is the direction we should pursue. I believe the Green New Deal is a field that can also contribute to job creation. Additionally, it is necessary to consider that the international community, including Europe, is demanding an active role from Korea regarding the Green New Deal. The President has instructed related ministries to prepare and report on job creation plans through the Green New Deal. In particular, when the Green New Deal intersects with digital non-face-to-face sectors, it can be partially included in the Korean New Deal projects that contribute to job creation. From the perspective of post-COVID-19 response, the Green New Deal is expected to be a major policy task. The government plans to promote the Green New Deal as a key policy task, and whether the Green New Deal is included as a separate item in the Korean New Deal does not affect the importance of the Green New Deal itself.

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