Seoul: The health ministry announced plans to establish Korean medicine majors at overseas colleges as part of an effort to enhance the global competitiveness of traditional Korean medicine and support local medical institutions' expansion into foreign markets.
According to Yonhap News Agency, these plans are part of the annual implementation strategy under the state's five-year comprehensive scheme from 2021 to 2025, aimed at promoting Korean medicine based on the Korean Medicine Promotion Act. The initiative will see Korean medicine programs introduced at universities in countries such as Turkey and Thailand. These programs will offer clinical training for foreign medical professionals and traditional practitioners.
In addition to academic programs, the government will launch initiatives for policy training on traditional Korean medicine for health ministry officials from other countries. This move is intended to facilitate international collaboration and understanding of Korean medicine practices.
The government is also committed to supporting domestic Korean medicine institutions seeking to expand into international markets. This includes assistance for Korean medicine product manufacturers and sellers in their export promotion and marketing efforts. Currently, the ministry is aiding the overseas expansion of two domestic institutions, including the Korean Medicine Hospital of Wonkwang University, which is operating in Vietnam. Plans are also underway to recruit two more institutions to receive state support.
Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo emphasized the importance of strengthening the international competitiveness of Korean medicine. "We will try to strengthen the international competitiveness of Korean medicine by linking our next five-year plan with the World Health Organization's 2025-34 traditional medicine strategy," he stated.