Ministry of Health Attends APEC Health Working Group to Discuss AI and Aging Solutions

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced today (August 22) that a South Korean delegation will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Health Working Group (HWG) meeting and a healthy aging (smart aging) workshop held in Dalian, China, from August 23 to 26 in its capacity as the chair country.

South Korea is serving as the chair of the Health Working Group for the 2026–2027 term.

The upcoming Health Working Group meeting will focus on three main themes: strengthening primary healthcare using digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI), innovation in "smart aging" across the life cycle, and strengthening health security and community resilience.

On the first day of the meeting, member states will seek solutions regarding healthy aging strategies based on strengthening long-term care capacity, responses to declining birth rates and family-friendly policies, sustainable health financing, and universal health coverage through digital and AI technologies.

On the second day, sub-working group meetings on digital health, vaccination, and mental health will follow, along with discussions on strengthening health security through infectious disease surveillance, early warning, and cross-border cooperation, as well as advancing the health industry based on openness, innovation, and cooperation.

Starting on the third day, a workshop under the theme "Promoting Healthy Aging in APEC Economies: Brain Health and Digital Opportunities" will explore policy and operational systems for aging societies and ways to foster age-friendly industries through public-private partnerships.

Park Jung-hwan, Director of the Artificial Intelligence and Data Promotion Division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare who is serving as the chair, stated, "Based on South Korea's outstanding healthcare system and policy experience, we will fulfill our role to ensure that all members of the Asia-Pacific region can lead healthy and dignified lives."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.