J Korean Med Assoc.  2025 Mar;68(3):183-192. 10.5124/jkma.2025.68.3.183.

Healthcare election promises by members of the 22nd National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee of Korea

• Hwang J
• Choi Yj

• KMID: 2566573
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2025.68.3.183

Abstract

Purpose
This study aimed to identify the healthcare election promises made by political parties whose members participate in the Health and Welfare Committee of the 22nd National Assembly. We evaluated whether Korea’s major political parties address various components of the health system, pursue balanced goals for healthcare improvement, and utilize diverse instruments to reform the health sector.
Methods
We identified healthcare promises from the top 10 promises submitted by each political party to the National Election Commission, focusing on those classified under “health and welfare” or containing relevant healthcare content. The unit of analysis was the implementation methods within each promise. These promises were then classified using the WHO’s six building blocks of a health system, the quintuple aim for healthcare improvement, and the five control knobs for health sector reform.
Results
A total of 33 election promises were identified. Promises related to regional health services and the health workforce were most common, followed closely by caregiving. In terms of the health system building blocks, service delivery was the dominant focus, and among the quintuple aims, improving the patient experience prevailed. Regulation emerged as the most frequently used control knob.
Conclusion
Healthcare promises mirror societal demands concerning the health workforce, regional healthcare disparities, and caregiving burdens. Although the content varied among parties, significant commonalities were observed. A balanced approach to healthcare financing, along with a broader range of policy reform instruments beyond regulation, is necessary to address health system challenges.

Keyword

Delivery of health care; Health care reform; Health policy; Politics; Republic of Korea; 의료제공; 의료개혁; 의료정책; 정치; 대한민국