Beyond the issue of essential medical services: toward a sustainable healthcare system in the Republic of Korea
- Author:
Kwangjum KIM
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:Special Contribution
- From:Journal of the Korean Medical Association 2025;68(12):871-880
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
- Abstract: This study seeks to reframe the ongoing debate from the narrow issue of essential medical services to the broader and more fundamental challenge of building a sustainable healthcare system suited to the Anthropocene era.Current Concepts: The discussion focuses on four key themes: Kellogg’s case study analyzing physicians’ responses to restrictions on residents’ working hours; Mol’s anthropological reflection on the medical field; Callahan’s proposal for an appropriate level of healthcare provision within its inherent limitations; and the planetary care framework, envisioned as a healthcare model suitable for the Anthropocene era.Discussion and Conclusion: Kellogg elucidates why the process of reform often fails, whereas Mol and Callahan articulate the philosophy that reform should embody. Moreover, the planetary care framework provides concrete directions and guiding principles for transformation. This study diagnoses the current crisis and presents a vision for a new healthcare paradigm—one defined as a “sustainable healthcare system.”
