[Good Brain 2022] Secrets to Living Happily Until 100... "Healthy Habits Good for the Brain"

On the 21st, at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, Woo Byung-hyun, CEO of Asia Economy, and guests are taking a commemorative photo at the 'Good Brain 2022 International Conference' hosted by Asia Economy. In the front row from the left: Jang Byung-won, Vice Chairman of the Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association; Kim Hyung-seok, Honorary Professor at Yonsei University; Woo Byung-hyun, CEO; Choi Jong-gyun, Director of Population Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare; Seo Kyung-won, Director of the Food and Drug Safety Evaluation Institute at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. In the back row from the left: So Jong-seop, Editor-in-Chief of Asia Economy; Kim Hyun-chul, Head of R&D Innovation Division at the Korea Health Industry Development Institute; Ha Sung-wook, Head of Strategic Planning at KMI Korea Medical Institute; Lee Won-gil, Executive Director of Long-term Care at the National Health Insurance Service; Kim Dae-soo, Professor of Life Sciences at KAIST; Nam Byung-ho, CEO of Herings; Kim Jae-jin, Professor of Psychiatry at Gangnam Severance Hospital. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

"In the era of 100-year lifespans, a healthy brain is essential to live happily without worries."

The 'Good Brain 2022 International Conference,' planned and prepared for the first time this year by Asia Economy, opened on the morning of the 21st at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul. As the aging of our society rapidly progresses due to increased average life expectancy, intellectuals of the era, neuroscientists, mental health medical staff, and health industry experts all unanimously agreed on the importance of brain health and presented constructive alternatives from various fields to protect the brain health of the public.

This day is both the 'World Alzheimer's Day' designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness of the importance of Alzheimer's prevention and management, and the 'Dementia Overcoming Day' designated by our government to widely promote the importance of dementia management and to form a national consensus to overcome dementia.

Choi Jong-kyun, Director of the Population Policy Office at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said at the event, "Dementia has become an issue that goes beyond individuals and families; it is a challenge that the nation and society must work together to overcome." He promised, "We will build a dementia-friendly society where dementia patients can live with dignity in their communities through nationwide dementia relief centers, National Health Insurance, and long-term care insurance systems."

Director Choi also stated, "To support the development of technologies that can prevent and treat dementia, we launched the Dementia Overcoming Research and Development Project Group in July 2020, and we continue to invest in R&D for preventive and therapeutic technologies that predict and diagnose dementia along with identifying its causes." He expressed hope that "the accumulated research outcomes and core technologies will serve as a catalyst for South Korea to become a leading country in dementia treatment and prevention."

Currently, the number of dementia patients aged 65 and older in South Korea has already reached 880,000, and it is projected that the dementia population will exceed 1 million by 2025. As of last year, one in ten elderly people suffers from dementia, and the national cost for dementia management reached a staggering 18.7 trillion won.

Jung Chun-sook, Chairperson of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, said, "The increase in chronic diseases due to an aging society, especially the rising prevalence of brain diseases such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease, has emerged as an important issue in the health and medical field." She added, "I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who are working to promote brain health and develop related industries."

Woo Byung-hyun, CEO of Asia Economy and the event organizer, said, "Advanced research to identify the causes of dementia and develop treatments is continuously underway, so diagnosis and treatment methods will eventually become widespread." However, he pointed out, "Because the factors affecting brain diseases are so complex and diverse, it is difficult to expect a solution in a short time." CEO Woo emphasized, "The best dementia measure is to develop healthy brain habits starting from your 40s and 50s," and expressed confidence that the experts’ lectures at this event will help us better understand dementia and encourage efforts to delay or avoid it as much as possible.

The conference, which covered various topics such as brain health management methods, medical technologies, and policy directions, was attended by Seo Kyung-won, Director of the Food and Drug Safety Evaluation Institute at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety; Kim Hyun-chul, Head of R&D Innovation Headquarters at the Korea Health Industry Development Institute; Lee Won-gil, Executive Director of Long-term Care at the National Health Insurance Service; and Jang Byung-won, Vice Chairman of the Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association.

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