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 18th Tripartite Health Ministers' Meeting, held over two days in Seoul, saw attendance from South Korean Health Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong, Japanese Health Minister Kenichiro Ueno, and Feng Yong, director general for international cooperation at China's National Health Commission. The three sides agreed to expand access to essential medical services through AI and digital technologies, sharing implementation methods tailored to each country's infrastructure and frameworks. To tackle rapid population aging, they committed to supporting integrated care systems that coordinate medical and nursing services.
On mental health, the nations prioritized life cycle-based suicide prevention strategies, early identification of high-risk groups, and intervention systems by broadening digital tool usage. Their joint statement noted: "Through the course of overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, we reaffirmed the importance of sustainable and resilient health systems. Beyond infectious disease control, we emphasized the importance of further cooperation on broader health agendas, including universal health coverage (UHC), healthy and active ageing, and mental health promotion."
The three countries will share policies and innovative practices in mental health, aiming to generate tangible synergies for promotion and suicide prevention across East Asia via evidence-based cooperation. They plan to maximize telemedicine, mobile health, and AI-based diagnostic tools "to overcome geographical and socio-economic barriers." Focus will expand on preventive approaches, with health promotion and non-communicable disease prevention as "key pillars of healthy aging," and joint efforts to address anxiety, depression, loneliness, and social isolation.
On the sidelines, Jeong held bilateral talks with delegations from China, Japan, and the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Regional Office. The next meeting is scheduled for China next year. This agreement underscores efforts to sustain trilateral health ties despite recent Japan-China frictions over Taiwan.
