The Moon Jae-in administration has begun to push for New Southern Policy, pursuing stronger ties with Southeast Asian countries, in the public health sector.
As part of the policy, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Wednesday that Vice Minister Kim Gang-lip would make a two-day visit to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam from Wednesday to enhance cooperation in social welfare and the public health.
Kim’s visit aims to reinforce the two country’s healthcare partnership based on the values of “health” and “people-centered” policy, as Vietnam is one of the key partners for New Southern Policy.
During his visit to Vietnam, Kim will have a meeting with Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Le Tan Dung and sign the nation’s first memorandum of understanding with Vietnam to cooperate in social security.
Kim will also meet with Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son to discuss ways to collaborate in the public health sector and attend an opening ceremony for a support institution for the cooperation of the medical industry of the two countries.
On Wednesday, health and welfare ministry officials and a civilian delegation will meet with Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Le Tan Dung to sign an MOU for stronger cooperation in social welfare, which has remained weak since the building of diplomatic ties in 1992.
The civilian delegation consists of Social Security Information Service President Lim Hee-teag, Korea Human Resource Development Institute for Health and Welfare President Heo Seon, Korea Social Welfare Council Secretary-General Seol Jeong-gon, and Community Chest of Korea’s Planning and Coordination Department Head Choi Eun-sook.
The MOU will promote cooperation in income security, welfare policies for children, the elderly, and the disabled, delivery systems and information systems, and mobilization and linkage of private resources, the ministry said.
On Thursday, Kim will meet with Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son in Ho Chi Minh to discuss how to cooperate for Vietnam’s better health insurance system and medical license exam.
Vietnam has a keen interest in Korea's health insurance system, medical license test system, and the operation of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and hopes to introduce them in their own country.
During the two-day visit, various events will promote exchanges in the public health industry.
Kim and Lim Jae-Hoon, Korean Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City, will attend the opening ceremony of a support institution for cooperation in the medical industry in Ho Chi Minh, Thursday.
A second support center, after the first one that opened in Shanghai in September, will provide offices and meeting rooms for officials at Korean medical institutions, pharmaceutical firms, and medical device makers to help them gain local information and build networks.
An event to promote Korean medicine will also open at the Intercontinental Hotel in Ho Chi Minh, Thursday, where Korean hospitals will introduce Korean medicine to Vietnam and enhance networks among private hospitals.
About 100 participants including officials at Vietnamese hospitals, agencies for attracting international patients, and reporters are expected to attend the event.