Democratic Party "Will Conclude Service Development Act"... Decade-Long Remote Medical Care Debate Gains Momentum

Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 1st and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] The Basic Act on the Development of the Service Industry, which has been stalled for 10 years due to controversy over the commercialization of medical services, is set to be actively discussed in the National Assembly. With the increased necessity of non-face-to-face services due to COVID-19, the allowance of telemedicine is also expected to be addressed.

Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated at the Supreme Council meeting on the 1st, "The Democratic Party will boldly and swiftly push forward regulatory innovation bills such as the Regulatory Sandbox Act in the February National Assembly to ensure that corporate innovation and challenges do not stop," adding, "We will also begin discussions on the Basic Act on the Development of the Service Industry in the standing committee."

He continued, "The Basic Act on the Development of the Service Industry is a law aimed at establishing an institutional infrastructure to continuously and systematically foster the service industry," and said, "Both ruling and opposition parties fully agree on the necessity of its enactment, and since discussions have been ongoing since the 18th National Assembly, we will reach a conclusion without delay."

The industries targeted by this bill are extensive, including not only medical services but also tourism, distribution, finance, logistics, gaming, and media. The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry stated in a legislative direction report submitted to the National Assembly in September last year, "Although the bill comprehensively stipulates the establishment of basic plans for the development of the service industry, support for startups and research and development (R&D), its enactment has been continuously delayed due to debates over whether to include the medical sector."

It further stated, "Since both ruling and opposition parties agree on the enactment of the law, we proposed adopting a negative regulation approach and separately discussing the applicability to detailed sectors during the policy formulation stage." This is interpreted as a suggestion to first prepare the legislation in a broad framework and then decide whether to include the medical sector, as the controversy over medical commercialization has hindered overall service development.

This law has attracted attention as it could serve as a stepping stone for allowing telemedicine. Both civil society and the medical community have opposed it, citing concerns such as harm to so-called 'local clinics' and a decline in medical quality. However, with the increased need and awareness of non-face-to-face medical care due to COVID-19, the discussion atmosphere has intensified.

The Economic and Fiscal Subcommittee of the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee discussed this bill once in November last year and will continue in the February session. Ryu Seong-geol, chairman of the subcommittee and a member of the People Power Party, recently told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "There had been resistance to accepting prescriptions and consultations via non-face-to-face methods, but with the COVID-19 situation, there have been many discussions about how to provide urgent care for other illnesses, and discussions will be held together."

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