Korea over the centuries has used acupuncture and herbal treatments to cure illnesses. Ginseng was a popular herb sold in stores and was used through the 1980s. The South Korean government committed itself to making medical security (medical insurance and medical aid) available to virtually the entire population by 1991.
he number of physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and other health personnel and the number of hospitals and clinics have increased dramatically since the Korean War
In 1974 the population per physician was 2,207; by 1983 this number had declined to 1,509. During the same period, the number of general hospitals grew from 36 to 156 and the number of hospital beds tripled from 19,062 to 59,099
1) the administrative structure of the system, (2) the choice about who would be covered, and (3) the policy for mobilizing financial resources for the system