South Korea’s president to help the balding citizens
20th Dec. 2025
Seoul, President Lee Jae-myung has directed health officials to review whether the country’s public health insurance should cover treatments for hair loss. He said hair loss is no longer only a cosmetic matter and called its effects on young people “a matter of survival”.
Under South Korea’s current rules, the National Health Insurance Service pays only for hair loss that stems from certain medical conditions, such as autoimmune alopecia. Ordinary male-pattern or hereditary baldness is excluded and must be paid for privately.
What the President Lee Jae-myung said and why?
Lee made the request during a live-streamed policy briefing. He argued that social and psychological harms linked to hair loss deserve policy attention. The suggestion is not new: Mr. Lee has raised the idea in public forums before.
Under current rules, the National Health Insurance Service covers hair loss only when it stems from certain medical conditions, such as autoimmune alopecia. Treatments for common male-pattern or hereditary baldness remain excluded and are paid for privately.
Rapid backlash on insurance support for hair-loss treatment
The proposal drew swift criticism from medical groups. The Korean Medical Association said the health fund should prioritise life-threatening illnesses and treatments with proven medical benefit. Doctors warned that expanding coverage for cosmetic-oriented care could strain the system.
Opposition politicians also pushed back. They said the national insurance scheme is meant to protect against serious disease, not to underwrite quality-of-life procedures. The debate has thus split public opinion along professional and political lines.
Financial and practical questions
Officials pointed to tight finances at the insurance fund. Analysts and some government reports have warned the system will face mounting pressure from an ageing population and rising costs. That reality, critics say, makes any expansion of benefits politically and fiscally sensitive.
Policy teams are reportedly discussing narrower options. These include limiting the number of treatments covered, capping subsidies, or offering partial support rather than full coverage. Any change would require technical reviews, cost estimates and approval through established health-policy channels.
Web Resources on South Korea’s helping it’s balding citizens:
1. World.kbs.co.kr: Lee Says National Health Insurance Should Cover Hair Loss.
2. Theguardian.com: South Korean president urges public health cover for hair loss.
3. Koreaherald.com: Is hair loss a public health issue? The president thinks so.