By Kim Bo-eun
President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday the government would increase coverage of dementia treatment amid Korea advancing into an aged society. He also stated the Constitution will stipulate people’s rights to safety in upcoming revisions, to provide a basis for better government protection.
The statement came in Moon’ s announcement of the administration’s five-year plan.
The plan reflects efforts to strengthen the state’s role in protecting the people, including provisions for universal medical care.
Stepping up coverage of dementia treatment is a key part of the plan, as Korea rapidly becomes an aging society, in which senior citizens aged 65 and above account for 14 percent of the total population.
Senior citizens accounted for 13.2 percent of the population as of 2015, and the portion is expected to reach 14 percent next year.
Health Ministry data for 2015 showed 650,000 people were suffering from dementia, accounting for 10 percent of the senior population.
Currently, there are only 47 government-run dementia care centers and 21 privately-run ones.
In order to increase the state capacity for dementia care, Moon pledged to build 252 care centers and hospitals starting this year.
Beginning 2018, the government will decrease the costs for dementia treatment and care for patients.
The government has allocated 202.3 billion won of the health ministry’s 864.9 billion won budget for these purposes.
At the same time, the government said it would make greater efforts to prevent accidents and establish a system of state responsibility in safety management.
To ensure this, the government will stipulate people’s rights to safety in revisions to the Constitution.
This follows the Park Geun-hye administration’s inept dealing of the sinking of the ferry Sewol in 2014, which killed over 300 passengers, mostly high school students on an excursion.
Moon promised to strengthen the government’s role in protecting people from man-made and natural disasters such as earthquakes, by establishing an integrated national disaster management system.
The government said it would upgrade weather forecast capabilities and create an advanced earthquake response system by 2020, in which it will improve early warning systems, earthquake-resistant designs and provide emergency training for the public.
Korea, which had been regarded safe from earthquakes, had 254 quakes last year, including the strongest with a magnitude of 5.8 since records began in 1978.
The previous administration had been criticized for being ill-prepared to deal with damages, much less minimize them.
Moreover, the government pledged to improve air quality by tackling fine dust, and make a shift from reliance on nuclear power to safe and renewable energy.