South Korea seeks to keep remote care beyond end of COVID-19 emergency

As the COVID-19 health emergency is due to expire in South Korea, so are the remote medical service policy put in place to allow people access to health care amid physical distancing restrictions.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Wednesday it was working on a plan to keep such remote care options available beyond the end of the pandemic's emergency status at the start of next month.

According to the statistics provided by the ministry, a total of over 14 million people received care remotely between February 2020, when the policy was first introduced, and now.

Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong told a meeting of ruling People Power Party leaders on Wednesday that the ministry intends to institutionalize remote care through policy implementations.

He added that the ministry will implement a trial period from June 1 to continue to provide remote access to care for people after the end of the pandemic.