|
 Lee Jae-myung, the flag bearer of the Democratic Party, made that
pledge, saying almost 10 million people suffer from hair loss but
many of them order medicines from overseas or resort to prostate
drugs as an alternative due to high treatment costs.
His proposal triggered explosive responses from some people, with a
15-second video clip in which Lee did a spoof of a hair loss
commercial saying he's the best candidate for "your hair," widely
circulating and generating parodies in social media.
"Let's implant Lee Jae-myung for us," a user wrote, replying to a
post of Lee's slogans on hair loss uploaded in an online hair loss
community.
Jeong Da-eun, a mother of two, told a meeting arranged late on
Wednesday by Lee's party with voters suffering from hair loss that
she gave up medical treatment as it required 4 million won ($3,325)
in six months, resorting to a good shampoo and food.
But the pledge fuelled criticism from others, with the opposition
calling it the latest item on Lee's populist agenda. Ahn Cheol-soo,
a minor opposition candidate who was formerly a doctor and software
tycoon, described Lee's proposal as irresponsible and promised to
cut the prices of generic drugs and fund the development of new
treatment if elected.
[to top of second column] |
 Lee, who once said he aspired
to be a "successful Bernie Sanders," has shot to
fame on the back of his push for universal basic
income and aggressive COVID-19 responses during
his stint as Gyeonggi province governor.
Lee Sang-ee, a professor at Jeju National
University's medical school, said the national health insurance
might falter if it spends hundreds of billions of won to cover hair
loss, when it is designed to help those suffering from serious
ailments.
There is no official data on how many South Koreans suffer from hair
loss. The National Health Insurance Service only provided yearly
tallies of people who have received hospital treatment, which
amounted to some 230,000 in 2020.
Lee Jae-myung said on Wednesday that hair loss coverage is necessary
from the aspect of "body completeness," and his campaign is studying
its potential financial impact.
($1 = 1,202.8700 won)
(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Minwoo Park;
Editing by Michael Perry)
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