earticle

영어

North Korea has sharply confronted South Korea with totally different politics and ideologies for the last half century. Since the death of Kim Il Sung, the serious economic recession in North Korea has caused food shortage and poor conditions of people's health and quality of life. This study was conducted to provide basic data for developmental and future-oriented model for integration of North and South Korean medical care system through comparatively analyzing the two Korean systems. It goes without saying that contrastive medical care system is developed in North and South Korea. North Korea has pursued 'universalization of medical security' through national monopoly of means of production. Medical care system of North Korea is characterized as free medical treatment system, the system of district assigned to individual doctor, valuing of preventive medicine, and cooperative medical care between Oriental Medicine and Western medicine. On the other hand, in South Korea the compulsory health insurance program has been implemented for the entire population. Medical Assistance Act has been also introduced to provide medical service to those without the means to pay. Studies of North and South Korean medical care system must be continued in order to explore how the weak points of North and South Korean medical systems make up for, and to minimize social conflict and economic burden in the process of peaceful unification.