Analysis of North Korea's living indicators of health and medical services for Reducing the Social Gap between North and South Korea

Abstract

Since Kim, Jong Un came to power, North Korea has been carrying out overall renovation, modernization and new construction of health and medical institutions while maintaining the broad framework of the existing socialist health care system. The trend of modernization and new construction of large-scale central medical institutions centered on Pyongyang has been progressing, and recently, such a trend is leading to the expansion of health and medical infrastructure in central cities and small cities in each province. Nevertheless, North Korea's medical services still has not improved significantly due to the lack of medicines and the poor environment of sick rooms. Above all, North Koreans' access to health care is becoming highly unequal, and in a situation where they prefer misuse of medicines based on individual choices and the use of folk remedies based on inaccurate medical knowledge rather than using official medical institutions, it is difficult for North Koreans to solve their health problems. As a result of the analysis, it was found that there was a significant gap in life expectancy between the two Koreas after the Arduous March, and this gap was largely contributed by the post-middle age and chronic diseases. In order for the current North Korea’s health care system to operate effectively, a significant level of public health finances must be invested, and for this, a complete reform of the North Korean national economic system is required. At the same time, it is necessary to reform the operating system to efficiently operate the vast health care organizations and systems that have already been built according to the characteristics of socialist medical care. South Korea and the international community should diplomatically present the environment and conditions under which North Korea can pursue economic reform and medical reform, and prepare to support it. Unlike the basic principle of preventive medicine advocated by North Korea, North Korea's health care system model is basically a so-called 'medical model' that aims to improve the health of residents only through health care. It is a situation where reforms are needed to focus more on the social determinants of health, and a health diplomacy strategy that allows North Korea to approach international health standards is required.