National Institute for Korean Medicine Development Partners with WHO to Establish International Standards for Traditional Medicine

Research on the Development of a Manual for Traditional Medicine Clinical Practice Guidelines Underway

The National Institute for Korean Medicine Development is taking the lead in establishing international standards for traditional medicine by launching a research project with the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop clinical practice guidelines for traditional medicine.

The National Institute for Korean Medicine Development (President Ko Ho-Yeon) announced that it has concluded consultations with the WHO and will officially proceed with the “Development of the WHO Manual for Traditional Medicine Clinical Practice Guidelines.”

National Institute for Korean Medicine Development exterior view

The core objective of this research is to establish a standardized methodology and practical manual for clinical guidelines that preserve the unique characteristics of traditional medicine while also meeting international standards.

Previously, at the 78th World Health Assembly last year, the WHO adopted the “Traditional Medicine Global Strategy 2025-2034” and presented the development of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to ensure the safety and efficacy of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine as a key priority.

However, there have been ongoing concerns that the existing international clinical guideline system is biased toward Western medicine and fails to fully incorporate the unique diagnostic systems and treatment characteristics of traditional medicine.

In response, the National Institute for Korean Medicine Development plans to establish guidelines that systematically reflect the diagnostic frameworks and therapeutic interventions of traditional medicine, as well as collaborative and integrative care models between Western and Korean medicine in real clinical settings.

Through this, the institute aims to provide practical standards that WHO member states can immediately apply in the field, while also laying the groundwork for future international joint research, policy development, and the global expansion of clinical applications in traditional medicine.

This research is particularly significant as a domestic public institution is directly commissioned to carry out a core research project in the development of WHO’s traditional medicine policies and guidelines.

As the only national institution fostering the Korean medicine industry, the National Institute for Korean Medicine Development has supported the development of a total of 62 standardized clinical practice guidelines for Korean medicine since 2016, leading the establishment of evidence evaluation systems, the development of clinical recommendations, and the dissemination of these guidelines in medical practice.

With these achievements and expertise now recognized internationally, the global credibility of Korean medicine and its influence on international policy are expected to further increase.

Ko Ho-Yeon, President of the National Institute for Korean Medicine Development, stated, “Being commissioned for this WHO research is a testament to the institute’s capabilities in developing clinical evidence and its international credibility. We will continue to contribute to the international standardization and evidence-based enhancement of traditional medicine, and strive to expand its role and establish a solid institutional foundation within global health policy.”

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