[Policy Pulse] Care, a Presidential Agenda Demanded by the Times

Full Implementation of "Community-Based Integrated Care" Set for March Next Year
Institutional Systems Must Now Protect Citizens' Lives

Nung-Hoo Park, former Minister of Health and Welfare

With the rapid aging of the population, the demand for care services is increasing dramatically. Elderly care in South Korea is no longer a private issue for a handful of families. It is estimated that about 20% of all households-one in five-bear the burden of elderly care, either directly or indirectly. Not only do cohabiting family members provide care, but non-cohabiting children also contribute by accompanying their parents to the hospital, providing financial support for living expenses, and responding to emergencies-opening both their hearts and wallets.

Meanwhile, wage earners are reducing their working hours, and self-employed individuals are closing their businesses, causing the foundation of the national economy to weaken. As the call for "improving care services" becomes a defining issue of our time, it is now necessary to move beyond family devotion and protect lives through the effectiveness of institutional systems.

The "Community-Based Integrated Care" initiative, which has been in preparation since 2018, will be fully implemented in March 2026. The government has established a task force, introduced integrated assessment surveys and individualized support plans, involved 229 cities, counties, and districts nationwide in pilot projects, and significantly increased the main budget for next year.

Care as a Defining Issue of Our Time... National Coordination, Not Just Slogans, Is Essential

However, these efforts are still insufficient. For the integrated information system to work effectively in the field, and for long-term care, disability care, and local government care services to be seamlessly coordinated without overlap or blind spots, much more preparation and effort are required. The goal is clear: to ensure that people can receive all the care services they need where they live, through a single application and a single case manager. We must move beyond slogans and achieve this through national coordination.

Let us examine the strategies needed to make this goal a reality. First, lower the barriers. We need to standardize an integrated approach so that applications, assessments, and service connections can all be completed at once, no matter where you apply. With just one phone call, a plan should be established within 72 hours, and services should begin within seven days. Second, consolidate responsibility. Assign a dedicated case manager to each recipient, seamlessly connecting medical care, nursing, long-term care, housing, and transportation, so families no longer have to visit multiple agencies. The state must take on this role instead of the family.

Third, share data. Standardize and integrate long-term care, local government care, dementia safety, and emergency care systems into a one-stop platform. The core of integrated management is to ensure that long-term care information managed by the National Health Insurance Service can be immediately accessed by local dementia safety centers at the request of the user.

Fourth, invest in people. Systematically train and professionalize care workers to develop them into high-quality service personnel, and make joint training for home healthcare, home-visit care, and day-and-night care routine. Care services are not simple work that anyone can do, but a specialized profession directly linked to individual happiness. Therefore, not only initial basic training but also ongoing advanced education is essential.

Care Must Be a Presidential Agenda, Not Just a Ministerial Issue

The problem is that these tasks are too challenging to be handled by the Ministry of Health and Welfare alone. Central government agencies must support with expanded budgets and personnel, local governments must take responsibility on the ground, and both public and private providers must act together. This is why the will of the Minister of Health and Welfare alone is not enough. It must become a presidential agenda.

South Korea's welfare policies have advanced at critical moments thanks to presidential decisions. The implementation of the National Basic Livelihood Security Act and the integration of health insurance under President Kim Dae-jung, the introduction of long-term care insurance for the elderly under President Roh Moo-hyun, and the expansion of welfare through "Moon Jae-in Care" and the introduction of child allowances under President Moon Jae-in have broadened the scope of welfare systems and transformed people's lives. Now, it is time for care services. By elevating care to a presidential agenda and establishing a control tower that unites relevant central ministries and all local governments, we can prepare for full-scale integrated care.

When applications become easier, waiting times are reduced, and seamless care continues at home even after hospital discharge, people will truly feel empowered as citizens. Families will regain their evenings, and the quality of life will be restored. To ensure that, in March 2026, people experience tangible results rather than just promises, a decision must be made now. Taking the first step of elevating care to a presidential agenda will raise South Korea's welfare policy to a new level.

Nung-Hoo Park, former Minister of Health and Welfare

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