FRAMEWORK ACT ON HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES
Act No. 6150, Jan. 12, 2000
Amended by Act No. 6909, May 29, 2003
Act No. 8852, Feb. 29, 2008
Act No. 9034, Mar. 28, 2008
Act No. 9847, Dec. 29, 2009
Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010
Act No. 10131, Mar. 17, 2010
Act No. 11855, Jun. 4, 2013
Act No. 13649, Dec. 29, 2015
Act No. 14216, May 29, 2016
Act No. 14558, Feb. 8, 2017
Act No. 15883, Dec. 11, 2018
Act No. 16729, Dec. 3, 2019
Act No. 17472, Aug. 11, 2020
Act No. 17966, Mar. 23, 2021
Act No. 20589, Dec. 20, 2024
Act No. 20922, Apr. 17, 2025
CHAPTER I GENERAL PROVISIONS
The purpose of this Act is to prescribe the rights and duties of citizens and the obligations of the State and local governments, with regard to health and medical care, and to provide for basic matters on the supply of and demand for health and medical care, thereby contributing to the development of health and medical care and the improvement of national health and welfare.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 2 (Fundamental concept) |
The fundamental concept of this Act is to enhance the quality of life of the people by establishing systems and conditions through which every citizen, as a human being with dignity and value, can pursue happiness and lead a healthy life through health and medical care, while achieving a balance between equity and efficiency in the provision of health and medical care.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
The terms used in this Act are defined as follows:
| 1. | The term "health and medical care" means all activities conducted by the State, local governments, health and medical institutions, health and medical personnel, and others for the purpose of protecting and improving national health; |
| 2. | The term "health and medical services" means all activities conducted by health and medical personnel for the purpose of protecting and improving national health; |
| 3. | The term "health and medical personnel" means persons who acquire qualifications, licenses, etc. or are otherwise authorized to engage in the provision of health and medical services under statutes or regulations governing health and medical care; |
| 4. | The term "health and medical institution" means any health care institution, medical institution, pharmacy, or any other entity prescribed by Presidential Decree in which health and medical personnel provide health and medical services to the public or a specific group of people; |
| 5. | The term "public health and medical institution" means any health and medical institution established and operated by the State, local governments, or other public organizations; |
| 6. | The term "health and medical information" means knowledge or all types of data related to health and medical care, expressed in the form of codes, numbers, letters, voices, audio, video, or any other means. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 4 (Responsibilities of the State and local governments) |
| (1) | The State and local governments shall endeavor to establish necessary legal and institutional frameworks and secure the financial resources necessary for the protection and promotion of public health. |
| (2) | The State and local governments shall endeavor to equitably meet the basic health and medical care needs of every citizen. |
| (3) | The State and local governments shall endeavor to devise policy measures to prevent harm that may arise from health-related goods, such as food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics, as well as from health-related activities, and to protect the public from various risk factors that may endanger their health. |
| (4) | The State and local governments may provide administrative and financial support for health and medical care provided by the private sector, if deemed necessary for health and medical care policy measures. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 5 (Obligations of health and medical personnel) |
| (1) | Health and medical personnel shall endeavor to provide patients with appropriate and high-quality health and medical services based on their knowledge, experience, and conscience. |
| (2) | When health and medical personnel are requested to provide health and medical services, they may not refuse to comply with such request, unless there is good cause. |
| (3) | Health and medical personnel shall endeavor, when necessary to provide appropriate health and medical services, to refer recipients of such services to other health and medical institutions and to provide relevant health and medical information to those institutions. |
| (4) | When health and medical personnel identify a person who is infected with, or is suspected of being infected with, a disease subject to management by the State or local governments, they shall take necessary measures such as informing, reporting, or notifying the relevant authorities of such fact. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 6 (Rights of patients and health and medical personnel) |
| (1) | All patients shall have the right to receive appropriate health and medical services to protect and improve their own health. |
| (2) | In providing health and medical services, health and medical personnel shall have the right to select appropriate health and medical care technologies, treatment materials, etc. for the protection of patients' health based on their knowledge, experience, and conscience; provided, this shall not apply where this Act or other statutes provide otherwise. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 7 (Correlation between health and medical care policies and social security policies) |
The State and local governments shall endeavor to ensure correlation between health and medical care policies and the relevant social security policies.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 8 (Participation of citizens) |
The State and local governments shall gather consensus from citizens, including interested persons, in developing and implementing health and medical care policies which exert significant influence on the life of citizens, including the rights and duties of citizens.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 9 (Relationship to other statutes) |
When statutes on health and medical care are enacted or amended, such enactments or amendments shall comply with this Act.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
CHAPTER II RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF CITIZENS REGARDING HEALTH AND MEDICAL CARE
| Article 10 (Right to health) |
| (1) | Every citizen shall have the right to live under the protection of the State, as prescribed by this Act or other statutes, with regard to their health and that of their families. |
| (2) | No citizen shall have their right to health, or that of their family, infringed upon on the basis of gender, age, religion, social status, economic circumstances, etc. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 11 (Right to know about health and medical care) |
| (1) | Every citizen shall have the right to request disclosure of the details of health and medical policy measures of the State and local governments, as prescribed by relevant statutes or regulations. |
| (2) | Every citizen may request to view or obtain a copy of their health and medical records from health and medical personnel or health and medical institutions, as prescribed by relevant statutes or regulations; provided, if the subject of the records is unable to make the request, his or her spouse, lineal ascendants or descendants, or the spouse's lineal ascendants may do so; and if none of these persons are available or if there are unavoidable circumstances such as disease preventing a direct request, a proxy designated by the individual may request viewing or other forms of access to the records. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 12 (Right to self-determination in health and medical services) |
Every citizen has the right to receive sufficient explanation from health and medical personnel regarding the treatment methods for their disease, whether they will be the subject of medical research, whether organ transplantation will be performed, and to decide whether to give consent thereto.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 13 (Guarantee of confidentiality) |
No confidential information about the body, health, or private life of citizens shall be revealed, with regard to health and medical care.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 14 (Duties of citizens concerning health and medical care) |
| (1) | Every citizen shall endeavor to protect and improve their health and that of their families, and shall bear expenses necessary for protecting and improving health, as prescribed by relevant statutes or regulations. |
| (2) | No one shall disseminate or advertise information harmful to health, or sell or provide devices or goods that may harm health, or engage in any acts that harm or are likely to harm the health of others. |
| (3) | Every citizen shall cooperate in legitimate health and medical services and guidance provided by health and medical personnel. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
CHAPTER III FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
| Article 15 (Formulation of health and medical care development plan) |
| (1) | The Minister of Health and Welfare shall formulate a health and medical care development plan every 5 years, after consultation with the heads of related central administrative agencies and deliberation by the Health and Medical Care Policy Deliberation Committee established under Article 20. |
| (2) | A health and medical care development plan shall include the following matters: <Amended on May 29. 2016> |
| 1. | Basic objectives in the development of health and medical care and the direction for promoting such development; |
| 2. | Major health and medical care program plans and the methods of promoting such plans; |
| 3. | Measures to secure and manage health and medical care resources; |
| 4. | Policies on the management of total hospital bed capacity by region; |
| 5. | Policy measures for boosting the efficiency of health and medical care, such as establishment of the system for providing and using health and medical care; |
| 6. | Integration and coordination of duties concerning health and medical care between central administrative agencies; |
| 7. | Health and medical care program plans for medically vulnerable populations, such as senior citizens or persons with disabilities; |
| 8. | Measures to manage statistics and information on health and medical care; |
| 9. | Other matters deemed particularly necessary for the development of health and medical care. |
| (3) | A health and medical care development plan shall be finalized after deliberation by the State Council. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 16 (Formulation and implementation of action plans for major policy measures) |
Upon the finalization of a health and medical care development plan, the Minister of Health and Welfare and the heads of the relevant central administrative agencies shall, based on the plan, formulate and implement action plans for major health and medical care policy measures under their jurisdiction each year.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 17 (Formulation and implementation of regional health and medical care plan) |
Upon the finalization of a health and medical care development plan, the Special Metropolitan City Mayor, a Metropolitan City Mayor, a Do Governor, a Special Self-Governing Province Governor (hereinafter referred to as "Mayor/Do Governor"), and the head of a Si/Gun/Gu (referring to an autonomous Gu; hereinafter the same shall apply) shall formulate and implement regional health and medical care plans in consideration of the actual conditions of the relevant local governments, as prescribed by related statutes or regulations.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 18 (Cooperation in formulation of plans) |
| (1) | The Minister of Health and Welfare, the head of the relevant central administrative agency, a Mayor/Do Governor, and the head of a Si/Gun/Gu may request relevant institutions, organizations, etc. to provide cooperation, such as submission of data, if necessary for formulating and implementing health and medical care development plans, action plans for major policy measures under their jurisdiction, and regional health and medical care plans. |
| (2) | The relevant institutions, organizations, etc., upon receipt of a request for cooperation under paragraph (1), shall comply with such request unless there is a compelling reason not to do so. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 18-2 (Report to the National Assembly) |
The Minister of Health and Welfare shall each year determine major details of health and medical care development plans, action plans for major policy measures of the pertinent year under Article 16, and the promotion performance of the previous year, and shall without delay report the same to the competent standing committee of the National Assembly. [This Article Added on Dec. 29, 2015]
| Article 19 (Subsidization of expenses) |
The State may provide local governments with subsidy to cover all or part of expenses incurred in implementing regional health and medical care plans, within the budget.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 20 (Health and Medical Care Policy Deliberation Committee) |
The Health and Medical Care Policy Deliberation Committee (hereinafter referred to as the "Committee") shall be established under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Health and Welfare to deliberate on major health and medical care policy measures.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 21 (Composition of Committee) |
| (1) | The Committee shall be comprised of up to 25 members, including 1 chairperson, and the members who are not public officials shall constitute a majority of the total members. <Amended on Dec. 11, 2018; Mar. 23, 2021> |
| (2) | The chairperson shall be the Minister of Health and Welfare. |
| (3) | Members shall be appointed or commissioned by the Minister of Health and Welfare from among the following persons; in such cases, the number of members under subparagraph 2 and subparagraph 3 shall be equal: <Amended on Mar. 23, 2021; Sep. 20, 2024> |
| 1. | Public officials of the relevant central administrative agencies prescribed by Presidential Decree; |
| 4. | Persons with extensive knowledge of and experience in health and medical care. |
| (4) | To ensure the efficient operation of the Committee's meetings, working-level committees may be established within the Committee, and subcommittees may be formed by area to conduct more specialized reviews of matters subject to the Committee's deliberation. |
| (5) | Except as provided in this Act, the organization and operation of the Committee, working-level committees, and subcommittees, and other necessary matters shall be prescribed by Presidential Decree. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 22 (Functions of Committee) |
| (1) | The Committee shall deliberate on the following matters: <Amended on Apr. 17, 2025> |
| 1. | Health and medical care development plans; |
| 2. | Improvement of the major health and medical care systems; |
| 3. | Major health and medical care policies; |
| 4. | Roles of the State and local governments with regard to health and medical care; |
| 5. | The scale of training of health and medical care workforce by occupation falling under the subparagraphs of Article 23-2 (1); |
| 6. | Other matters referred for deliberation by the chairperson. |
| (2) | When deliberating on matters under paragraph (1) 5, the Committee shall give due regard to the results of deliberation by a supply and demand estimation committee under Article 23-2. <Added on Apr. 17, 2025> |
| (3) | When the Minister of Health and Welfare consults with the Minister of Education on the scale of training of health and medical care workforce by occupation under statutes and regulations governing higher education, he or she shall reflect the results of deliberation under paragraph (1) 5. <Added on Apr. 17, 2025> |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 23 (Cooperation of relevant administrative agencies) |
| (1) | The Committee may request the relevant administrative agencies to submit data on health and medical care and to provide cooperation necessary for the duties of the Committee. |
| (2) | The relevant administrative agencies, upon receipt of a request under paragraph (1), shall comply with such request, unless there is a compelling reason not to do so. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 23-2 (Supply and demand estimation committee) |
| (1) | The Minister of Health and Welfare shall establish a supply and demand estimation committee for each of the following occupations (hereinafter referred to as the "supply and demand estimation committee") under his or her jurisdiction in order to regularly conduct mid- to long-term estimations of the supply and demand of health and medical care workforce and to deliberate on the results: |
| 5. | Other health and medical care workforce prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Health and Welfare; |
| (2) | A supply and demand estimation committee shall deliberate on the following matters: |
| 1. | National-level estimation of the supply of and demand for health and medical care workforce for the relevant occupation; |
| 2. | Regional-level estimation of the supply of and demand for health and medical care workforce for the relevant occupation; |
| 3. | Estimation of supply and demand by specialty and medical department for occupations prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Health and Welfare among occupations categorized by specialty and medical department. |
| (3) | Where a supply and demand estimation committee deliberates on matters referred to in paragraph (2) 1, it shall reflect the results of analyzing the regional-level supply and demand estimates and the supply and demand estimates by specialty and medical specialty provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of that Article. |
| (4) | A supply and demand estimation committee shall be comprised of up to 15 members, including 1 chairperson. In such cases, a majority of the members shall be those falling under paragraph (6) 1. |
| (5) | The chairperson of a supply and demand estimation committee shall be elected by and from among the members referred to in paragraph (6) 3. |
| (6) | The Minister of Health and Welfare shall appoint members of a demand and supply estimation committee from among those who fall under any of the following subparagraphs; provided, if there is no recommendation of members from the following organizations or entities despite a request for recommendation of a member for a specified period of not less than 7 days, a demand and supply estimation committee may be operated by appointing members from among the recommended members, notwithstanding the latter part of paragraph (4): |
| 1. | Experts recommended by organizations representing the suppliers of health and medical care for each health and medical care occupation under the subparagraphs of paragraph (1) and medical institutions under Article 52 of the Medical Service Act; |
| 2. | Experts recommended by workers' organizations, civic groups related to consumers and patients, etc. as organizations representing consumers of health and medical care; |
| 3. | Experts recommended by academic societies, research institutes, and other entities related to health and medical care. |
| (7) | Members of a supply and demand estimation committee shall be commissioned for each relevant occupation; however, members falling under paragraph (6) 2 and 3 shall serve on supply and demand estimation committees for all occupations. |
| (8) | Members of a supply and demand estimation committee shall meet all of the following qualifications: |
| 1. | A person who has majored in a field related to estimation of supply and demand, such as economics, health science, statistics, and demographics; |
| 2. | A person with extensive expertise and research experience in the field of workforce policy or workforce supply and demand estimation; |
| 3. | A person who is an assistant professor or higher at a university, a research fellow or higher at a research institute, or a person who has qualifications equivalent thereto. |
| (9) | A supply and demand estimation committee may establish subcommittees if necessary to efficiently perform its duties. |
| (10) | A supply and demand estimation committee shall prepare minutes under Article 17 (2) of the Public Records Management Act, and disclose the minutes, agenda items, results of supply and demand estimation, and other reference materials used for the supply and demand estimation, as prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. |
| (11) | A supply and demand estimation committee shall be guaranteed independence and autonomy in its operation, and the Minister of Health and Welfare shall provide support, including securing the necessary budget, to ensure that the committee can independently perform the duties within its authority. |
| (12) | Other matters necessary for the supply and demand estimation methods and intervals under paragraph (1), and for the composition and operation of a supply and demand estimation committee and subcommittees under paragraph (9), shall be prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. |
[This Article Added on Apr. 17, 2025]
| Article 23-3 (Center for Estimation of Supply and Demand of Health and Medical Workforce) |
| (1) | The Minister of Health and Welfare may designate and operate any of the following institutions as a Center for Estimation of Supply and Demand of Health and Medical Care Workforce (hereinafter referred to as "Supply and Demand Estimation Center") in order to support the expert estimation of supply and demand by a supply and demand estimation committee: |
| (2) | The Minister of Health and Welfare may fully or partially subsidize expenses incurred by the Supply and Demand Estimation Center in conducting its business, within the budget. |
[This Article Added on Apr. 17, 2025]
CHAPTER IV MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL CARE RESOURCES
| Article 24 (Management of health and medical care resources) |
| (1) | The State and local governments shall devise comprehensive and systematic policy measures to develop and secure health and medical care resources, such as personnel, facilities, supplies, knowledge, and technology related to health and medical care. |
| (2) | The State and local governments shall manage health and medical care resources to ensure that such resources are supplied appropriately, by predicting the short- and long-term demand for health and medical care resources. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 25 (Fostering health and medical care workforce) |
The State and local governments shall devise necessary measures, including education, to foster excellent health and medical care workforce and to enhance their qualifications.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 26 (Cooperation among health and medical personnel) |
Health and medical personnel shall endeavor to cooperate with each other in each specialized field or between specialized fields in providing health and medical services, so as to provide high-quality health and medical services to citizens and contribute to improving national health.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 27 (Sharing roles between public and private health and medical institutions) |
| (1) | The State and local governments shall establish a system for sharing roles and promoting cooperation between public and private health and medical institutions. |
| (2) | If necessary for meeting demand for basic health and medical care under Article 4 (2), the State and local government may establish and operate public health and medical institutions and provide subsidy to cover all or part of expenses incurred therein. |
| (3) | The State and local governments shall formulate and implement policy measures necessary to efficiently operate and manage public health and medical care. |
| (4) | Fundamental matters regarding public health and medical care, such as the establishment and operation of public health and medical institutions, shall be separately prescribed by statutes. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 28 (Health and medical care knowledge and technology) |
| (1) | The State and local governments shall formulate and implement necessary policy measures for the development of health and medical care knowledge and technology. |
| (2) | The Minister of Health and Welfare shall endeavor to devise measures necessary to provide efficient health and medical services, such as the evaluation of a new health and medical care technology. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
CHAPTER V PROVISION AND USE OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL CARE
SECTION 1 System for Providing and Using Health and Medical Care
| Article 29 (System for providing and using health and medical care) |
| (1) | The State and local governments shall endeavor to ensure that health and medical care resources including human resources, facilities, and goods are evenly distributed across regions and health and medical services are provided in a balanced manner, and to establish a system for providing and using health and medical care to efficiently provide high-quality health and medical services. |
| (2) | The State and local governments may take administrative and financial measures necessary for establishing a system for providing and using health and medical care, and provide other support necessary therefor. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 30 (Emergency medical services system) |
The State and local governments shall establish an emergency medical services system to ensure that every citizen (including foreigners staying in Korea) can receive swift and appropriate emergency medical services in an emergency. <Amended on Jun. 4, 2013>
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
SECTION 2 Lifelong National Health Management System
| Article 31 (Lifelong national health management program) |
| (1) | The State and local governments shall implement programs for lifelong national health management, taking into account the health characteristics and major risk factors specific to each stage of the life cycle. |
| (2) | The State and local governments shall devise policy measures necessary to ensure that public health and medical institutions can play a central role in the lifelong national health management programs. |
| (3) | The State and local governments shall devise policy measures necessary to smoothly implement the lifelong national health management programs, including training professionals responsible for health guidance and health education and establishing a health management information system. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 32 (Improvement of health of women and children) |
The State and local governments shall devise policy measures necessary to protect and promote the health of women and children. In such cases, the State and local governments shall ensure that the policy measures to promote women's heath reflect the characteristics specific to each age group. <Amended on Dec. 29, 2015>
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 33 (Improvement of health of senior citizens) |
The State and local governments shall devise policy measures necessary to protect and improve the health of senior citizens for the purposes of early diagnosing and preventing diseases of senior citizens, and ensuring appropriate treatment and health care for them, depending on the conditions of diseases.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 34 (Promoting health of persons with disabilities) |
The State and local governments shall devise measures necessary to prevent the occurrence of congenital and acquired disabilities and to protect and promote the health of persons with disabilities, such as by ensuring their treatment and rehabilitation.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 35 (School health and medical care) |
The State and local governments shall devise policy measures necessary to assist students in their sound development, to protect and promote their health, and to cultivate the lifestyles, emotional well-being, and other qualities required for them to grow into healthy adults.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 36 (Industrial health and medical care) |
The State shall devise policy measures necessary to protect and promote the health of workers.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 37 (Environmental health and medical care) |
The State and local governments shall devise policy measures necessary to maintain a comfortable environment and prevent any harm to health caused by environmental pollution, so as to protect and promote national health.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 37-2 (Health and medical care in response to climate change) |
The State and local governments shall devise policy measures necessary to prevent any harm to health caused by climate change, such as global warming, and to manage health in response to climate change, so as to protect and promote national health.
[This Article Added on Dec. 20, 2024]
[Previous Article 37-2 moved to Article 37-3 <Dec. 20, 2024>]
| Article 37-3 (National health impact assessment following climate change) |
| (1) | The Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency shall conduct a survey and assessment of the impacts of climate change, such as global warming, on national health (hereinafter referred to as "climatic health impact assessment") every 5 years and publish the results, and utilize them as basic data for the formulation of policies. <Amended on Aug. 11, 2020; Dec. 20, 2024> |
| (2) | The Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency may conduct a fact-finding survey in order to obtain basic data and prepare statistics necessary for climatic health impact assessment. <Amended on Aug. 11, 2020> |
| (3) | The Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency may request the head of a central administrative agency, the head of a local government, and the head of an institution or organization related to medical services to provide data necessary for climatic health impact assessment or to cooperate in a fact-finding survey conducted under paragraph (2). In such cases, the head of a central administrative agency, etc. requested to provide data or cooperate in a fact-finding survey shall comply with such request in the absence of good cause. <Amended on Aug. 11, 2020> |
| (4) | Matters necessary for specific details, methods, etc. of a climatic health impact assessment and a fact-finding survey shall be prescribed by Presidential Decree. |
[This Article Added on Feb. 8, 2017]
[Moved from Article 37-2; previous Article 37-3 moved to Article 37-4 <Dec. 20, 2024>]
| Article 37-4 (Designation of dedicated agency) |
| (1) | The Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency may designate any of the following institutions as an agency dedicated to conducting and operating climate health impact assessments (hereinafter referred to as the "dedicated agency"): |
| 1. | A national or public research institute; |
| (2) | The dedicated agency shall conduct climatic health impact assessment and perform the following duties: <Amended on Dec. 20, 2024> |
| 2. | Collecting, managing, and providing relevant information necessary for surveys under subparagraph 1; |
| 3. | Other duties prescribed by Presidential Decree. |
| (3) | The Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency may fully or partially subsidize expenses incurred by a dedicated agency in performing its duties under paragraph (2). |
| (4) | The Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency may revoke the designation of a dedicated agency if it ceases to meet the requirements for designation under paragraph (5). |
| (5) | Matters necessary for the requirements, procedures, etc. for the designation of a dedicated agency and the revocation of such designation shall be prescribed by Presidential Decree. |
[This Article Added on Feb. 6, 2024]
[Moved from Article 37-3 <Dec. 20, 2024>]
| Article 38 (Food hygiene and nutrition) |
The State and local governments shall devise policy measures necessary to prevent any harm to health caused by food and to improve the nutritional status of citizens, so as to protect and promote national health.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
SECTION 3 System for Managing Major Diseases
| Article 39 (Establishment of system for managing major diseases) |
The Minister of Health and Welfare shall select diseases that particularly need to be managed by the State, from among diseases that may cause considerable harm to national health, and formulate and implement policy measures necessary for managing such diseases.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 40 (Prevention and management of infectious diseases) |
The State and local governments shall formulate and implement policy measures necessary to prevent the occurrence and spread of infectious diseases and to provide appropriate health and medical care for, and manage, patients with infectious diseases.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 41 (Prevention and management of chronic diseases) |
The State and local governments shall formulate and implement policy measures necessary to prevent the occurrence and increase of major chronic diseases, such as cancer and hypertension, and to provide appropriate health and medical care for, and manage, patients with chronic diseases, including those with terminal illness.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 42 (Mental health and medical care) |
The State and local governments shall formulate and implement policy measures necessary to promote the mental health of citizens, including the prevention of mental disorders, the treatment of persons with mental disorders, and their reintegration into society.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 43 (Oral health and medical care) |
The State and local governments shall formulate and implement policy measures necessary to promote the oral health of citizens, including the prevention and treatment of oral diseases and the management of matters related to oral health.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
CHAPTER VI SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL CARE
| Article 44 (Pilot projects for health and medical care) |
| (1) | The State and local governments may conduct pilot projects, if necessary to implement a new health and medical care system. |
| (2) | If the State and local governments have conducted pilot projects under paragraph (1), they shall evaluate the outcomes thereof and reflect such outcomes in the new health and medical care system to be implemented. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 45 (Provision of health and medical services to medically vulnerable populations) |
| (1) | The State and local governments shall formulate and implement policy measures necessary to provide appropriate health and medical services to medically vulnerable populations, including senior citizens and persons with disabilities. |
| (2) | The State and local governments shall formulate and implement policy measures necessary to protect and promote the health of farmers, fishers. etc. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 46 (Dispute resolution) |
| (1) | The State and local governments shall devise policy measures necessary to ensure that disputes arising from health and medical services are resolved promptly and fairly. |
| (2) | The State and local governments shall devise policy measures necessary to facilitate relief of any damage caused by health and medical services. |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 47 (Expenses borne by persons who cause harm to national health) |
The State and local governments may require persons who produce or sell goods, etc. which cause or are likely to cause harm to national health, to bear expenses incurred in protecting and promoting national health, as prescribed by relevant statutes or regulations.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 48 (Promotion of industries related to health and medical care) |
The State and local governments shall devise policy measures necessary to promote industries related to health and medical care, such as the research and development of health and medical care technology or support therefor.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 49 (Fostering and development of Korean medicine treatment) |
The State and local governments shall endeavor to foster and develop Korean medicine treatment.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 50 (International cooperation) |
The State and local governments shall exchange information and technology related to health and medical care through cooperation with foreign governments and international organizations, etc., train specialized human resources, and actively participate in international endeavors for the development of health and medical care.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 51 (Evaluation of projects for health and medical care) |
The State and local governments shall evaluate the outcomes of major projects for health and medical care each year and reflect such outcomes in health and medical policy measures.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 52 (Evaluation of health and medical services) |
| (1) | The Minister of Health and Welfare shall conduct an evaluation of health and medical services under relevant statutes or regulations, so as to improve the quality of health and medical services. <Amended on Dec. 20, 2024> |
| (2) | Every citizen shall have the right to know the results of evaluation of health and medical services under paragraph (1). <Added on Dec. 20, 2024> |
| (3) | The Minister of Health and Welfare may disclose the results of evaluation of health and medical services under paragraph (1), except where disclosure is restricted under other statutes or regulations. In such cases, matters necessary for the criteria, etc. for the disclosure of evaluation results shall be prescribed by Presidential Decree. <Added on Dec. 20, 2024> |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
CHAPTER VII MANAGEMENT OF STATISTICS AND INFORMATION ON HEALTH AND MEDICAL CARE
| Article 53 (Policy measures on management of statistics and information on health and medical care) |
The State and local governments shall formulate and implement policy measures necessary to collect and manage statistics and information on health and medical care and utilize such statistics and information for health and medical care policies.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 54 (Facilitation of informatization of health and medical care) |
The State and local governments shall devise policy measures necessary to facilitate the informatization of health and medical care.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 55 (Fact-finding surveys on health and medical care) |
| (1) | The Minister of Health and Welfare shall conduct nationwide fact-finding surveys on health and medical care, such as the national demand for health and medical care, trends in using such services, or workforce, facilities, and supplies related to health and medical care every 5 years and publish the results of such surveys; provided, if deemed necessary to formulate health and medical care policies, temporary fact-finding surveys on health and medical care may be conducted. <Amended on Dec. 3, 2019> |
| (2) | The Minister of Health and Welfare may request relevant central administrative agencies, local governments, or relevant institutions, corporations, or organizations to provide data or state opinions in order to conduct fact-finding surveys under paragraph (1). In such cases, a person in receipt of such request shall comply therewith, unless there is good cause. <Amended on Dec. 3, 2019> |
| (3) | Matters necessary for the details, methods, publication, etc. of fact-finding surveys under paragraph (1) shall be prescribed by Presidential Decree. <Added on Dec. 3, 2019> |
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 56 (Dissemination and expansion of health and medical information) |
The Minister of Health and Welfare shall devise policy measures necessary to widely disseminate and expand health and medical information held by health and medical institutions and other relevant institutions and organizations.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
| Article 57 (Facilitation of standardization of health and medical information) |
The Minister of Health and Welfare shall devise policy measures to standardize health and medical information, in order to ensure its efficient operation, compatibility, and so forth.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Mar. 17, 2010]
ADDENDUM <Act No. 6150, Jan. 12, 2000>
This Act shall enter into force 6 months after the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDA <Act No. 6909, May 29, 2003>
Article 1 (Enforcement date)
This Act shall enter into force 1 year after the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDA <Act No. 8852, Feb. 29, 2008>
Article 1 (Enforcement date)
This Act shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation; provided, ... the amendments to the Acts to be amended pursuant to Article 6 of the Addenda, which were promulgated before this Act enters into force but the enforcement dates of which have yet to arrive, shall enter into force on the enforcement date of the relevant Act.
ADDENDUM <Act No. 9034, Mar. 28, 2008>
This Act shall enter into force 6 months after the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDA <Act No. 9847, Dec. 29, 2009>
Article 1 (Enforcement date)
This Act shall enter into force 1 year after the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDA <Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010>
Article 1 (Enforcement date)
This Act shall enter into force 2 months after the date of its promulgation. (Proviso Omitted.)
ADDENDUM <Act No. 10131, Mar. 17, 2010>
This Act shall enter into force 3 months after the date of its promulgation; provided, the amended provisions of Article 40 shall enter into force on December 30, 2010.
ADDENDUM <Act No. 11855, Jun. 4, 2013>
This Act shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDUM <Act No. 13649, Dec. 29, 2015>
This Act shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDUM <Act No. 14216, May 29, 2016>
This Act shall enter into force 6 months after the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDUM <Act No. 14558, Feb. 8, 2017>
This Act shall enter into force 6 months after the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDA <Act No. 15883, Dec. 11, 2018>
Article 1 (Enforcement date)
This Act shall enter into force 6 months after the date of its promulgation.
Article 2 (Applicability to organization of Committee)
The amended provisions of Article 21 (1) shall begin to apply to the appointment or commission of members of the Committee after this Act enters into force.
ADDENDUM <Act No. 16729, Dec. 3, 2019>
This Act shall enter into force 6 months after the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDA <Act No. 17472, Aug. 11, 2020>
Article 1 (Enforcement date)
This Act shall enter into one month after the date of its promulgation; provided, ... the amended provisions of any Act, which is amended under Article 4 of the Addenda and promulgated before this Act enters into force but the enforcement date of which has yet to arrive, shall enter into force on the enforcement date of such Act.
ADDENDUM <Act No. 17966, Mar. 23, 2021>
This Act shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDUM <Act No. 20216, Feb. 6, 2024>
This Act shall enter into force 6 months after the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDA <Act No. 20445, Sep. 20, 2024>
Article 1 (Enforcement date)
This Act shall enter into force 9 months after the date of its promulgation. (Proviso Omitted.)
ADDENDA <Act No. 20589, Dec. 20, 2024>
Article 1 (Enforcement date)
This Act shall enter into force 6 months after the date of its promulgation; provided, the amended provisions of Article 52 shall enter into force 1 year after the date of its promulgation. Article 2 (Applicability to disclosure of results of evaluation of health and medical services)
The amended provisions of Article 52 shall begin to apply to the evaluation of health and medical services conducted after those amended provisions enter into force.
ADDENDA <Act No. 20922, Apr. 17, 2025>
Article 1 (Enforcement date)
This Act shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation; provided, matters regarding the supply and demand estimation for occupations other than physicians from among those provided in the amended provisions of Articles 22 and 23-2, and matters regarding the supply and demand estimation under the amended provisions of Article 23-2 (2) 2 and 3 shall enter into force from the time prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, within a period not exceeding 3 years from January 1, 2027. Article 2 (Applicability)
The estimation of supply and demand and the deliberation on the scale of training for physician workforce under the amended provisions of Articles 22 and 23-2 shall apply to the physician workforce from the year 2027 onward. Article 3 (Transitional measures following enforcement of the Nursing Act) "Nurses defined in Article 2 of the Nursing Act" in the amended provisions of Article 23-2 (1) 2 shall be construed as "nurses defined in Article 2 of the Medical Service Act" until June 20, 2025.