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Lee looks to incentivize reduction of life-sustaining care for terminally ill

Published: 03 Feb. 2026, 20:58

President Lee Jae Myung looks at files during a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House in central Seoul on Feb. 3, 2026. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Lee Jae Myung called for incentives for terminally ill patients to forgo or stop life-sustaining treatment.

Lee made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting he chaired at the Blue House after Health and Welfare Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong presented plans to promote the life-sustaining treatment decision system.

“This is a very important system, and beyond making it easy and convenient to use, it would be good to have some form of incentive,” Lee said. “If the system is activated, it would benefit society as a whole, so it may be necessary to coordinate it well."

Lee also raised the issue during a ministry briefing last December, where he asked officials to review compensation measures such as reduced health insurance premiums, noting that medical and fiscal expenditures decrease when life-prolonging treatment is not administered.

“Health insurance spending becomes enormous when looking at an insured person’s lifetime, especially for treatment costs right before death,” Lee said.

When he asked about the proportion of health insurance expenditures incurred at the end of life, Minister Jeong replied that medical expenses are highest during the one-year period immediately preceding death.

"Some life-sustaining treatments cost an enormous amount, causing suffering for the patient, hardship for the family and strain on health insurance finances," Lee said.

Children and parents are seen at a pediatric hospital in Osan, Gyeonggi on Nov. 28, 2025. [NEWS1]

When Jeong mentioned the need to expand a palliative care system for those who choose not to receive life-sustaining treatment, Lee said that although it would require personnel and funding, it would cost far less than providing life-prolonging treatment in hospitals.

“In that case, it is right to invest boldly. Please proceed accordingly,” he said.

Justice Minister Cho Won-cheol highlighted problems arising from the practice of police treating deaths at home without life-sustaining treatment as suspicious deaths.

“In such cases, police demand death inspection certificates and other documents, and the process is extremely formalistic. There are even cases where the deceased is left unattended in a corner of a hospital for a day or two,” Cho said. “These problems must be resolved.”

Lee recalled his own experience, saying he struggled greatly to obtain a death inspection certificate after the passing of a parent many years ago. “That point is valid. Please look into it carefully,” he said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]