Hong Seung-kwon, the new president of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA), announced his vision to transform the agency into a "strategic evaluation body."
He said he aims to move beyond HIRA's traditional role in reimbursement decision-making and instead actively drive both efficiency and equity within the healthcare system.
HIRA held an inauguration ceremony for its 12th president at its headquarters in Wonju, Gangwon Province, on Monday.
Hong Seung-kwon, the new president of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA), officially began his duties following an inauguration ceremony on Monday. (Courtesy of HIRA)
"It is an honor to lead HIRA, an institution driving our national health insurance system," Hong said. "As the healthcare environment changes rapidly, HIRA's role is more critical than ever. I will meet these challenges faithfully."
Hong emphasized his commitment to balancing diverse voices from both the medical field and the government to support improvements in the medical delivery system and the strengthening of public healthcare functions.
The new HIRA head added that he would focus the agency’s capabilities on ensuring that key national tasks—such as strengthening regional and essential medical services and easing the burden of medical expenses for citizens—yield tangible results on the ground.
Hong named a "complete overhaul of the review and assessment paradigm" as a top priority.
"Previously, reviews focused on the appropriateness of medical acts. Now, we will evaluate patient health outcomes and care value," Hong said. "Achieving fiscal sustainability and quality care is difficult with simple cuts or post-management alone."
To facilitate this shift, Hong outlined a new evaluation framework built on three core pillars: outcome-based evaluation; risk adjustment (correcting for severity and patient groups); and value-based assessment linked to payment systems.
"I will create a learning-based evaluation system that supports data-driven feedback and improvement by medical institutions," Hong stated. "This ensures evaluation results drive field improvements, not mere control. HIRA will advance as a strategic agency promoting healthcare efficiency and equity."
He also pledged to pursue cloud-based AI transformation and expand healthcare services that citizens can access.
Hong is seen as a balanced leader who bridges medical practice and policy, with extensive experience in clinical fields and academia.
Hong previously worked at Seoul National University Hospital's Information Office and Biomedical Research Institute, the Catholic University of Korea Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital, and served as board chair of the Rokhyang Medical Foundation. He currently leads the Korean Academy of Primary Health Care.
HIRA President Hong’s three-year term began on Monday and will run through April 12, 2029.
Kwak Sung-sun
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