Hong Seungkwon, New HIRA Chief, Vows to Shift Review Focus to Patient Health and Medical Value

A Healthcare Expert with Extensive Experience in Clinical Practice, Research, and Policy
"Accelerating AX and Essential Healthcare Innovation"

Hong Seung-kwon, the newly appointed director of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, expressed his commitment to overhaul the existing post-payment reduction focused review and assessment paradigm and shift it to a "value-based assessment" system centered on patient health outcomes and medical value.

On the 13th, Hong Seung-kwon, the newly appointed director, is delivering his inaugural speech at the 12th director inauguration ceremony held at the main office of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in Wonju, Gangwon Province. Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service

At his inauguration ceremony held on April 13 at the main office in Wonju, Gangwon Province, Director Hong stated, "Amid the rapid changes in the healthcare environment and the increasing importance of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's role, I will faithfully fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to me as its director," he said.

In his inaugural address, Director Hong first declared a "paradigm shift in review and assessment." He emphasized, "It is difficult to achieve both fiscal sustainability and quality of care solely through simple reductions or post-management. Through outcome-based assessment and risk adjustment, I will lead the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service to become a strategic evaluation institution that drives the efficiency of the healthcare system."

He also unveiled a detailed roadmap for digital transformation. Director Hong defined cloud-based artificial intelligence transformation (AX) as an "essential trend" and pledged to continuously expand data-driven administration and AI-powered work innovation. Through this, he plans to further enhance the convenience of services such as the public disclosure of uninsured medical expenses and drug utilization review (DUR) information on safe medication use, allowing the public to tangibly experience the benefits.

In addition, he expressed his ambition to firmly establish a real-time healthcare utilization management system in the field pursuant to the recently revised "National Health Insurance Act," aiming to achieve both the soundness of the health insurance fund and the protection of public health.

Director Hong is regarded as a leader with balanced leadership, having accumulated broad experience and expertise in healthcare policy and medical practice through his previous roles at Seoul National University Hospital’s Information Department and Biomedical Research Institute, The Catholic University of Korea Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, as chairman of the Rokhyang Medical Foundation, and as president of the Korean Primary Health Care Society.

He said, "I will support improvements in the healthcare delivery system and the reinforcement of public healthcare functions by reflecting the diverse perspectives of the medical field and the government in a balanced manner," adding, "I will focus my capabilities so that key national policy tasks, such as strengthening regional and essential healthcare and alleviating the public’s medical expense burden, can yield tangible results in practice."

The term of Director Hong’s appointment is three years, from April 13, 2026, to April 12, 2029.

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