Current Status and Sustainable Development Strategies of Traditional Korean Medicine Official Development Assistance (ODA) in Global Health

Yeeun Hwang; Seunghyeon Lee; Hyungwoo Kim; Hyoju Nam; Seungun Lee; Yousang Baik; Han Chae; Hwang, Yeeun; Lee, Seunghyeon; Kim, Hyungwoo; Nam, Hyoju; Lee, Seungun; Baik, Yousang; Chae, Han

doi:10.13048/jkm.24019

JKM > Volume 45(1); 2024 > Article

Hwang, Lee, Kim, Nam, Lee, Baik, and Chae: Current Status and Sustainable Development Strategies of Traditional Korean Medicine Official Development Assistance (ODA) in Global Health

Review Article

The Journal of Korean Medicine 2024; 45(1): 255-268.

Published online: March 1, 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13048/jkm.24019

Current Status and Sustainable Development Strategies of Traditional Korean Medicine Official Development Assistance (ODA) in Global Health

Yeeun Hwang¹

, Seunghyeon Lee¹

, Hyungwoo Kim¹

, Hyoju Nam²

, Seungun Lee³

, Yousang Baik²

, Han Chae¹

¹School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University

²National Institute for Korean Medicine Development

³Korean Medicine Service Team Abroad

Correspondence to: Han Chae, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, 49, Busandaehak-ro, Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, 50610, South Korea, Tel: +82-51-510-8470, Email: han@chaelab.org

Received January 19, 2024 Revised February 9, 2024 Accepted February 16, 2024

Abstract

Objectives

Korea has a unique history of being both a recipient and a donor of Official Development Assistance (ODA), and the international community expects Korea to contribute to the development of developing countries by utilizing this experience. Traditional Korean medicine (TKM) seeks to contribute to global health, however the concept of ODA has been unclear and there has been no clear strategy and sustainable initiatives.

Methods

This study examines the concept of ODA and its application in global health, including business objectives, scale, evaluation principles, and development strategies. Additionally, we reviewed the current status of Traditional Korean medicine globalization projects and conducted a SWOT analysis of the internal and external environment of the TKM sector. Based on these findings, we redefined the concept of ODA for TKM and proposed suggestions for its development.

Results

The current study identified key ideas for TKM ODA. It should prioritize the improvement of primary healthcare in recipient countries, aligning with the international evaluation criteria of the SDGs. Secondly, TKM’s 70 years of experience can be leveraged to enhance both the competence and economic benefits of recipient countries’ medical systems. Based on these concepts, a TKM ODA development model was proposed, comprising two core visions, three development strategies and goals, and six core values.

Conclusion

This study systematically examined the TKM in global health and suggested sustainable development strategies for TKM ODA. Through its expansion, TKM could contribute to the advancement of global traditional medicine and its overall engagement in healthcare.

Keywords: Traditional Korean Medicine, Official Development Assistance, Sustainable Development Goals, Primary Healthcare, Sustainable Development strategy, Global Health

Acknowledgement

본 연구는 부산대학교의 연구비지원을 받았음.

(This work was supported by a 2-Year Research Grant of Pusan National University.)

Fig. 1

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations

Fig. 2

Major targets of SDGs goal 3

Fig. 3

Development model of Traditional Korean Medicine ODA

Table 1

Development Assistance Committee (DAC) List of Official Development Assistance (ODA) Recipients (Effective for Reporting on 2024 and 2025 Flows)

Category of the recipients	Countries
Least Developed Countries (LDCs)	Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia
Low Income Countries which are not LDCs (per capita GNI <= $1,135 in 2022)	Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Syrian Arab Republic
Lower Middle Income Countries and territories which are not LDCs (per capita GNI $1,136 – $4,465 in 2022)	Algeria, Bhutan, Bolivia, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Eswatini, Ghana, Honduras, India, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tokelau, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Zimbabwe
Upper Middle Income Countries and territories which are not LDCs (per capita GNI $4,466 – $13,845 in 2022)	Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, China (People’s Republic of), Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Indonesia, Iraq, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Montserrat, Namibia, Nauru, Niue, North Macedonia, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Helena, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, South Africa, Suriname, Thailand, Tonga, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Wallis and Futuna, West Bank and Gaza Strip

Table 2

Official Development Assistance Amount of Korea (on a grant equivalent basis, USD million)

	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Official Development Assistance (ODA)	2,355	2,463	2,250	2,873	2,786
ODA/GNI (%)	0.14	0.15	0.14	0.16	0.17
Bilateral ODA	1,731	1,857	1,751	2,168	2,189
Grants	1,128	1,171	1,155	1,384	1,498
Loans	603	686	597	784	691
Multilateral ODA	624	606	499	704	597

Table 3

27 Core Partner Countries of Korea

	Core Partner Countries (’11–15)	2nd Core Partner Countries (’16–20)	3rd Core Partner Countries (’21–25)
Asia	Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, East Timor	Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar	Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar, India
Africa	Ghana, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, Congo, Nigeria, Cameroon	Ghana, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal	Ghana, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal, Egypt
Middle east and CIS	Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan	Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan	Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Tajikistan
Latin America	Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay	Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay	Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay
Oceania	Solomon Islands
Total Number of Countries	26	24	27

Table 4

SWOT Analysis of Traditional Korean Medicine

Internal factors		Strength(S)	Weakness(W)

External factors		70 years of development and successful experience in Korean medicine World-leading Korean medicine research capabilities Highly developed traditional medical system	Lack of ODA experience (recipient country/donor country) Lack of ODA planning and implementation experts Lack of policy support and research from the government
Opportunity (O)	South Korea as a role model for ODA Growing interest in traditional medicine Increased funding for international health ODA	S/O	W/O

		Present and utilize Korea’s successful development experience to recipient countries Highlight Korean medicine as a strength of Korean-style international health projects Prioritize real-world development projects centered on recipient countries	Planning of effective projects centered on recipient countries Increased capacity of domestic experts Development of Korean medicine ODA professionals Development of a comprehensive Korean medicine ODA plan

Threat (T)	Lack of trust in new models of international development cooperation Capacity needed for long-term Korean medicine ODA projects Increased competition from China in the field of traditional medicine, requiring differentiation and specialization	S/T	W/T

		Expansion of Policy support for showcase projects and successful experiences Policy support for Korean medicine ODA research Strengthening the role of the Korean medicine ODA expert group	Hosting of regular forums and symposia and network building Increased ODA role of Korean medicine specialized institutions Expansion of research on traditional medicine in overseas cultures/countries Establishment of a career ladder for Korean medicine ODA

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