2023.12.04
AMCHAM seminar explores health care as bigger part of Korea-U.S. alliance
By Shim Woo-hyun,
The Korea Herald - Health care officials from South Korea and the US on Monday
gathered in Seoul to discuss the industry’s potential to be a bigger part of
the Seoul-Washington alliance during a forum hosted by the American Chamber of
Commerce in Korea.
The Healthcare
Innovation Seminar is one of the major events organized by AmCham, and the
largest policy seminar on the health care industry in South Korea. This year's
seminar is titled “The Role of the Healthcare Industry in Facing the Next
Frontier of K-Healthcare.”
“US-Korea
cooperation has deepened and strengthened in critical industries, such as
semiconductors and EVs. I believe it’s time for health care to be a bigger part
of the US-Korea alliance,” said Philip Goldberg, US ambassador to South Korea,
in his congratulatory remark at the seminar held at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul on
Monday.
“As Korea and the US
continue to develop digital health solutions, I have no doubt that US firms can
leverage their capabilities in software and data solutions to work together to
bring more digital health solutions to the world,” he added.
AmCham Chairman
James Kim stressed future cooperation between the two countries as well. “The
health care industry has spent the past few years coping with the sudden and
vast disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now stakeholders from all
sides, including government and business, need to band together and strategize
a way forward in the next frontier of K-health care.”
The chairman of
AmCham expressed hopes that the seminar would continue to serve as a valuable
platform where participants from the US and Korean health care industries could
seek measures to strengthen cooperation.
For this year’s
seminar, AmCham has brought together officials from the government, academia
and health industries to explore the latest policy changes relating to the
country’s health care industries, as well as international pharmaceutical
companies’ ongoing partnerships with Korean companies.
Kim Hye-jin, deputy
minister for planning and coordination at the Health Ministry, highlighted the
ministry’s 60 billion won ($45 million) Boston-Korea Project, through which the
Korean government aims to support health care research between the two countries.
Representatives from
international pharmaceutical companies also joined the seminar to share their
ongoing collaborations in Korea.
Oh Jin-yong, North
Asia Area managing director at Johnson & Johnson MedTech, said, “We are
excited to continue our engagement with Korea’s vibrant health care ecosystem,
as we recognize its potential to contribute valuable solutions for enhanced
patient care worldwide” in his presentation.
Managing Director of
MSD Korea Albert Kim noted: “Global pharmaceutical companies that have
established a presence in Korea to contribute to the development of the
bio-health industry ecosystem by collaborating with local companies across a
wide array of areas, ranging from R&D to consignment manufacturing.”
Source: https://news.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20231204000666&md=20231204165233_BL