• Health Policy and Management
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.107-129
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• 2008

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine Korean government's efforts in policy making and implementation regarding the Korea National Health Insurance System in the past and suggest a new paradigm for future policy changes. The structural and political characteristics of the Korea National Health Insurance, where health care services are provided almost exclusively by the private providers and funding for health comes equally from public and private sources, imply persistent difficulties in the operation of the system This may partially explain why the Korean system has continually experienced conflicts among stakeholders whenever there was an attempt to change policy. In this paper, we discuss four cases to illustrate such difficulties and barriers. We propose that in order to address these challenges and reduce policy errors as well as unintended results, it is necessary to restructure policy making process from being oriented toward 'quantitative expansion' to 'qualitative maturity', from a 'linear thinking' to a 'system thinking', from taking a 'top-down' to a 'governance and participatory' decision making process.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.421-431
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• 2023

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to socio-economic issues, highlighting the importance of strengthening health systems for future infectious diseases. This study aims to analyze the relationship between health system preparedness, response levels, and COVID-19 fatality rates across 194 countries. Methods: This study examined various indicators of national health system preparedness and response, including health service delivery, health workforce, health information systems, essential medicines and health products, health financing, and leadership and governance. Results: A correlation was found between the health system and the COVID-19 case fatality rate (CFR). Further examination of specific indicators within health service delivery, health workforce, health information systems, health financing, and leadership/governance showed significant correlations with the CFR. Multiple regression analysis, considering aging and urbanization rates, identified reproductive/maternal/newborn and child health, infectious diseases, nursing and midwifery personnel density, birth registration coverage, and out-of-pocket health expenditure as significant factors affecting the CFR. Conclusion: Countries with strong health system indicators experience lower case fatality rate from COVID-19. Strengthening access to essential health services, increasing healthcare personnel and resources, ensuring reliable health information, and bolstering overall health systems are crucial for preparedness against future infectious diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.117-125
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate current status of 19 general hospitals which performed the hospital social responsibility (HSR) to global health issues. The survey focused on the global healthcare supporting system & activity (including the administration, information, materials, finance, and human resources, et al.), and the government's policy in Korea. Based on the analysis of survey data, the main global health issues of general hospitals were activities of overseas volunteers (56%) and aids of the developing countries (19%). Also, general hospitals have mainly supported into eastern Asia (49%). And then, the most important goal of general hospitals related these activities kept the founding principle of a hospital for global health issues (53%). The second ranking was the social responsibility (32%) and the interchange between Korean and foreign hospitals (32%). There were many differences between general hospitals about the global healthcare supporting system & activities for HSR to global health issues. In conclusion, we suggest that most of general hospitals in Korea would be gotten prior setting the global issues for unmet-need of the developing countries around the world in the near future. This study also served as the effective way by partnership on global health issues of general hospitals for recognizing the HSR as hospital governance.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.336-346
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• 2017

Background: Due to the asymmetry of information and knowledge and the power of bureaucrats and medical professionals, it is not easy for citizens to participate in health care policy making. This study analyzes the case of the insured organization participating in the Health Insurance Policy Committee (HIPC) and provides a basis for discussing methods and conditions for better public participation. Methods: Qualitative analysis was conducted using the in-depth interviews with the participants and document data such as materials for HIPC meetings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposively sampled six participants from organizations representing the insured in HIPC. The meanings related to the factors affecting participation were found and categorized into major categories. Results: The main factors affecting participating in the decision making process were trust and cooperation among the participants, structure and procedure of governance, representation and expertise of participants, and contents of issues. Due to limited cooperation, participants lacked influence in important decisions. There was an imbalance in power due to unreasonable procedures and criteria for governance. As the materials for meetings were provided inappropriate manner, it was difficult for participants to understand the contents and comments on the meeting. Due to weak accountability structure, opinions from external stakeholders have not been well received. The participation was made depending on the expertise of individual members. The degree of influence was different depending on the contents of the issues. Conclusion: In order to meet the values of democracy and realize the participation that the insured can demonstrate influence, it is necessary to have a fair and reasonable procedure and a sufficient learning environment. More deliberative structure which reflects citizen's public perspective is required, rather than current negotiating structure of HIPC.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.17-24
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• 2010

Energy consumption is the largest contributing factor for the increase of $CO_2$ emissions and amounts for almost 85% of all emissions. The future energy consumption of Korea is projected to grow exponentially despite its heavy dependence on imported energy that represents 97% of its total energy supply. According to a recent OECD report the carbon emission level of Korea is currently ranked 9th in $CO_2$ emissions, and is growing by almost 3% every year. Against this background, the Korean government introduced the "low carbon green growth" policy in 2008. As the global challenges intensified in the wake of the world economic crisis, Korea has been working hard in raising the visibility of its efforts at the club governance meetings, in particular the G-20 summit. Because of cooperative efforts with major member countries, the G-20 summit agenda has been significantly diversified to include long-term issues such as climate change, development issues, and global health. To achieve an effective green recovery for a new green world economic order, the G-20 summit leaders should concentrate on a strategy of establishing green governance for a global STI cooperation. Korea as the host country is poised to leverage the Seoul G-20 summit to catalyze global efforts toward a new green economic order.

• Proceedings of the Korea Contents Association Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.183-187
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• 2007

During the recent decades in democratic and industrialized countries, government policies for governing technological innovation and risks to environment and human health have undergone significant changes. The shift from a top-down legislative approach to a more inclusive and deliberative atmosphere is, putatively the most prominent change. Such a move is often described as a move from government to governance. In the governance of technology and risk, public engagement has been a major strategy in technology decision-making process. This article aims to look into the changes in the procedural modes of technology decision-making process. It discusses the main viewpoints that have been placed on the basis of such a move. Also, it further relates the changes in local decision-making process to science and technology decision-making at global level. It argues that the democratic and reflexive trends in local science and technology decision-making will be the basis upon which to shape and respond to global governance system: while international decision-making process would require accountability in integrating different values and rationalities, such accountability may be sustained and reinforced depending on the robustness of the local decisions and social choices.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.23-30
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• 2013

The Korea Government adopted the gender mainstreaming system to realize gender equality. The active participation of members, organizations and groups of the society is the most important, for the systematic and continuous working of the gender mainstreaming system. We suggest a model for constructing gender governance with the women, the neglected classes, the educational group, the occupational group, the research group, NGOs, the medias, the government, the council, and the gender impact analysis and assessment center, etc.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.13-36
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• 2024

Objectives: The purpose of this field case report is 1) to analyze the community's strategy and performance in responding to infectious diseases through the case of COVID-19 infectious disease crisis response of Daegu Metropolitan City, and 2) to interpret this case using governance theory and infectious disease response governance framework. and 3) to propose a strategic model to prepare for future infectious disease outbreaks of the community. Methods: Cases of Daegu Metropolitan City's infectious disease crisis response were analyzed through researchers' participatory observations. And review of OVID-19 White Paper of Daegu Metropolitan City, Daegu Medical Association's COVID-19 White Paper, and literature review of domestic and international governance, and administrative documents. Results: Through the researcher's participatory observation and literature review, 1) establishment of leadership and response system to respond to the infectious disease crisis in Daegu Metropolitan City, 2) citizen's participation and communication strategy through the pan-citizen response committee, 3) cooperation between Daegu Metropolitan City and governance of public-private medical facilities, 4) decision-making and crisis response through participation and communication between the Daegu Metropolitan City Medical Association, Medi-City Daegu Council, and medical experts of private sector, 5) symptom monitoring and patient triage strategies and treatment response for confirmed infectious disease patients by member of Daegu Medical Association, 6) strategies and implications for establishing and utilizing a local infectious disease crisis response information system were derived. Conclusions: The results of the study empirically demonstrate that collaborative governance of the community through the participation of citizens, private sector experts, and community medical facilities is a key element for effective response to infectious disease crises.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.320-326
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• 2018

As the United Nations announced Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, the world changed its development goals from focusing on efficiency to equity. As a result, in the health sector, universal health coverage (UHC) has become one of the main issues. This paper reviews and discusses on future direction and issue of official development assistance program for developing countries. Korea International Cooperation Agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs published on Korea International Cooperation Agency's mid-term health strategy 2016-2020 developed on participation program with stakeholder including governments, civil society partner organizations, and educational institutions. The SDGs expands non-communicable diseases, UHC, and global health security from the existing Millenium Development Goals health sector. Progress toward UHC underpins the achievement of all other targets under SDG Goal 3. Progress in reducing health inequality across the life course is drawing on overall data and from specific target. In order to achieve SDG 3, a multi-disciplinary approach, convergence between IT and u-health of this development, is desirable.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.295-309
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• 2019

Eight years have passed since the Korean government's medical agency officially reported that the fatal lung disease found in some hospitals in 2011 was caused by chemical disinfectants used in household humidifiers, marking the introduction of the humidifier disinfectant disaster. Over the past eight years, a medical-scientific approach has been taken by the Korean government in its efforts to solve the problems in terms of relief of and compensation for the potential victims. One of the unintended consequence of this approach has been the fact that the number of "official victims" recognized by the government is quite small compared to the total number of applicants who claim to be suffering from the humidifier disinfectant disaster. This is mainly due to the fact that the medical-scientific approach relies on excessively strict, rigid, and narrow medical-scientific criteria provided by medical experts for judging the degree of applicants' bodily damage from the use of humidifier disinfectants. As a result, this medical-scientific approach is becoming increasingly criticized by patients' organizations mainly composed of rejected applicants. Based on the analysis of the limits of this medical-scientific approach and after clarifying the social implications of the disaster from a sociological perspective, this paper proposes certain social approaches focused on participatory governance as a means of dealing with the current issue. Finally, the paper emphasizes that the act of taking social responses to the humidifier disinfectant disaster should also be considered a process of enlarging and deepening democracy in Korea.