Aging Population
South Korea, China, and Japan agree on AI-driven health cooperation
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Heads of health authorities from South Korea, China, and Japan agreed to bolster trilateral cooperation on universal health coverage and mental health using AI and digital technologies at the 18th Tripartite Health Ministers' Meeting in Seoul. The pact comes amid diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing over Taiwan. The dialogue originated in 2007 from joint efforts on pandemic influenza preparedness.
The National Pension Service announced on March 2 that the number of national pension recipients in South Korea is likely to surpass 8 million this year for the first time since the program's introduction in 1988. This projection comes amid the country's rapid aging population and low birth rate. The figure reached 7.83 million in November.
Reported by AI
The Japanese government adopted its fiscal 2026 budget bill on Friday, allocating a record ¥39.06 trillion for social security-related expenses, an increase of ¥760 billion from fiscal 2025. This rise reflects growing medical and nursing care costs due to an aging population. However, efforts to ease the health insurance premium burden on the working generation remain limited.