[2022 National Audit] Welfare Committee Audit, Divergent Evaluations of Moon Jae-in Care and K-Quarantine by Ruling and Opposition Parties... Discussion on Welfare Blind Spots

New Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong is attending the National Assembly's audit of the Ministry of Health and Welfare held on the 5th, responding to lawmakers' questions. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] At the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee hearing targeting the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, key topics included improvements to the National Health Insurance system, including the "Moon Jae-in Care," COVID-19 quarantine policies, and welfare blind spots.

Evaluations of the previous administration’s health insurance coverage expansion policy, known as Moon Jae-in Care, were divided along party lines. On the 5th, Baek Jong-heon, a member of the People Power Party, claimed at the Health and Welfare Committee hearing that Moon Jae-in Care caused excessive use of ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), leading to financial instability in the health insurance fund. Lee Jong-sung, also from the People Power Party, referred to the Board of Audit and Inspection’s findings on the policy’s shortcomings and emphasized the need for a thorough reassessment of the previous administration’s health insurance policies.

On the other hand, Kim Min-seok of the Democratic Party stated, "Criticizing Moon Jae-in Care now is pointless," adding, "If there are pros and cons, we should sort them out and focus on the current administration’s Yoon Seok-yeol Care."

Regarding this, Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong responded, "It is necessary to examine the causes of the rapid increase in expenditures in certain areas," and added, "We will review the fact that limited resources have been concentrated in specific fields, preventing them from going to essential medical services." He further stated, "We need to reconsider the validity of some items and redirect coverage toward essential medical care."

Questions were also raised about the government’s quarantine policy, which advocates for "scientific quarantine." While ruling party lawmakers argued that the previous administration’s quarantine measures were not scientific, opposition lawmakers pointed out that the "scientific quarantine" promoted by the Yoon Seok-yeol government lacks substance. Minister Cho said, "(The previous administration’s quarantine) had achievements and should be further developed."

Committee members also called for improvements to the welfare system’s blind spots, highlighted by incidents such as the Suwon three women case, consecutive suicides of young adults preparing for independence after leaving childcare facilities, and cases of parents with developmental disabilities killing their children and then committing suicide.

Democratic Party member In Jae-geun argued that, regarding the phenomenon of murder followed by suicide in vulnerable households, "Management based on statistical surveys is fundamentally necessary." Kang Eun-mi of the Justice Party criticized the government’s national agenda to promote "deinstitutionalization of protected children," stating that inadequate protection and support for young adults who have left facilities and become independent have led to isolation and, in severe cases, extreme choices.

Minister Cho said, "Establishing statistics on murder followed by suicide is the most important and urgent task, and we are consulting with the police to prepare legal grounds," adding, "We plan to expand in-depth case analyses (psychological autopsies) on murder followed by suicide." Regarding the extreme choices of young adults preparing for independence, he said, "The government has made efforts to strengthen social support systems, but it is still insufficient," and added, "We recognize young adults preparing for independence as one of the welfare blind spots and are devising public support measures."

People Power Party member Cho Myung-hee introduced the increase in "medical tourism" and urged solutions to the medical disparity between the metropolitan area and provinces. Cho pointed out that an average of 66,000 people visit advanced general hospitals in the metropolitan area, and that medical fees paid by provincial patients to metropolitan advanced general hospitals amount to 2.7 trillion won. In response, Minister Cho said, "The concentration in the metropolitan area increases costs nationwide, causes resource waste, and can deepen regional medical imbalances, so it must be improved," adding, "We are working to establish a system where patients can complete their medical treatment within their own regions."

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