Korea holds Health Dialogue with UK to strengthen cooperation

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MoHW), South Korea recently announced the first Korea-UK Health Dialogue, held in Seoul.

This dialogue was based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Healthcare Cooperation, signed by the two countriesi n August last year to mark the 140th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. The MoU builds on a long-standing partnership in healthcare and medical research, encompassing joint studies and researcher exchanges.

The Korean delegation, led by Park MinSoo, 2nd Vice Minister of MoHW, included officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI). The UK delegation was represented by senior officials including Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary at the UK Department of Health, and Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser.

During the health dialogue, the two countries reviewed the outcomes of their collaboration in healthcare research and development, examined achievements in strengthening health security against emerging infectious diseases, and shared key best practices for improving public health while exploring ways to enhance future cooperation.

Both countries reviewed the progress of ongoing healthcare R&D collaborations and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening these efforts. Discussions included the newly launched Korea-UK Smart Clinical Trials International Joint Research Partnership (involving Korea's KHIDI and the Korea National Enterprise for Clinical Trials, and the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Research).

The two sides expressed their hopes for the successful implementation of joint research projects and discussed potential new initiatives. Korea also introduced the newly launched Korean ARPA-H (Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health),an innovative and challenging R&D initiative launched this year to address critical health issues,andexplored opportunities for collaboration with the UK’s ARIA (Advanced Research and Invention Agency).

Next, the two countries reviewed their collaborative achievements in responding to public health crises, including emerging infectious diseases, climate change, One Health, and antimicrobial resistance. They agreed to bolster partnerships in health security, including by facilitating expert exchanges and hosting forums.

Furthermore, both countries shared best practices related to cardiovascular diseases and smoking cessation, which directly affect public health and quality of life.