Doctors and advocacy groups in South Korea have slammed a proposal to extend national health insurance coverage to common hair-loss treatments.
Singaporean newspaper The Straits Times reported that the public backlash centres on whether male pattern hair loss should be covered by the country’s public health insurance system, which is expected to prioritise necessary medical treatment.
Health and Welfare Minister Jung Eun-kyeong recently named expanded insurance coverage for hair-loss treatment as one of the government’s policy priorities for the second half of 2026. The Health Ministry is considering initially extending coverage to younger adults, citing concerns that hair loss can have significant social and psychological consequences for people entering the job market.
The debate has already been sparked following comments made by Lee Jae Myung in 2025, when he said that hair loss is more than a cosmetic issue and can affect quality of life and social opportunities.