social development
Between 1945 and the early 1960s, little attention was paid to national health care because of limited resources. Still, efforts were made to provide basic health care services.
The government promulgated the National Medical Act in 1951 and set up 500 health clinics throughout the nation to deal with urgent tasks such as treating infectious diseases and providing medical relief during and after the Korean War. The health clinics were replaced in the early 1960s by bigger health centers in accordance with the Health Center Act. The number of health centers grew from 80 in 1960 to 87 in 1961 and 189 in 1962. The government also focused on creating an organized management system for medical services and medical facilities.
Source : SaKong, Il and Koh, Youngsun, 2010. The Korean Economy Six Decades of Growth and Development. Seoul: Korea Development Institute.
