‘Matter of survival’: South Korean president urges public health cover for hair loss | South Korea
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has instructed his government to consider expanding public health insurance to cover hair loss treatments. to dispute Baldness has become a “matter of survival” rather than a cosmetic concern for young people.
The proposal, which has since faced backlash from medical experts and conservative figures, was announced at a policy briefing on Tuesday and would expand coverage beyond the limited medical treatments currently available for certain types of hair loss.
South Korea operates a universal insurance plan financed by premiums calculated based on income. Currently, this plan only covers hair loss due to medical causes, such as alopecia areata. Most treatments for common male pattern baldness are excluded.
“There may be young people who think it is unfair to only pay insurance premiums and not receive social assistance,” said Lee, adding that the “feeling of alienation” among them has worsened.
The president first proposed this policy as a candidate during his unsuccessful 2022 presidential campaign; This campaign faced criticism as a populist banner, but he removed it from his most recent election platform.
The proposal highlighted South Korea’s intense cultural focus on physical appearance. A. 2024 survey It found that 98% of young adults believe attractive people receive benefits.
Cultural pressure is especially challenging and severe for women, who face strict expectations around makeup, skin care, and body shape.
For men, this issue is less discussed, but some with receding hairlines choose to grow their hair long or seek expensive treatments to hide their hair loss.
South Korea was thought to have a hair loss treatment market Worth around 188 billion won (£95 million) By 2024, industry groups claim that around 10 million of the more than 51 million population will experience hair loss, but this figure has never been this high. officially confirmed.
Although shampoos against hair loss are particularly popular, some products have come under criticism in recent years for their alleged effectiveness.
The timing of Lee’s proposal is particularly sensitive because South Korea’s health insurance system faces increasing financial pressure. Last internal projections the system could reportedly face deficits as large as 4.1 trillion won (£2.1 billion) in 2026.
Medical experts were skeptical of the idea.
The influential Korean Medical Association said that “instead of investing health insurance funding in hair loss treatment coverage, prioritizing coverage for cancer and other serious diseases would better align with health insurance principles.”
Conservative newspapers were particularly critical. Chosun Ilbo argued in his editorial “This is not something the president would suddenly order without consulting premium-paying citizens.”
Health minister Jeong Eun Kyeong voiced her caution about the proposal, interpreting Lee’s “survival” claim as referring to young people’s self-confidence during job searches and its impact on mental health.
When asked In a radio show on whether expanding coverage would significantly impact health insurance financing, Jeong responded, “I think so,” and noted that expanded coverage would require a comprehensive analysis.
Yoon Hee-sook, a former conservative lawmaker whose relative is being treated for cancer. he wrote on Facebook While he sympathized with the stress of young people’s hair loss, he said it “represents the current societal consensus to prioritize treatments directly linked to life and bodily functions.”
Park Joo-min, a ruling party lawmaker who has publicly discussed the hair transplant procedure and is known for advocating for hair loss issues. sent “it’s really Korea!” There is an obvious nod on X.
