Students have resumed their studies, and medical residents have returned to their hospitals, as the healthcare system gradually recovers from a collapse that lasted more than a year and a half. This disruption revealed numerous problems, which are now the subject of ongoing forums and discussions. Within this context, topics such as addressing regional disparities in healthcare and fostering biohealth as a next-generation growth engine are directly connected to our research priorities and deserve close attention [
1].
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic left painful lessons. Epidemiological data, vaccination records, and clinical information were not adequately linked, delaying critical decision-making. The lack of real-time access to essential datasets also hindered timely research that could have guided treatment strategies. Challenges related to system governance and privacy protections further complicated collaboration, even in moments of crisis when rapid decision-making was imperative. Fortunately, after overcoming the immediate COVID-19 emergency, the government recognized the central importance of big data and designated artificial intelligence (AI) and biohealth as strategic industries, now seeking concrete application areas.
The first area is disease prediction through health data. The Republic of Korea possesses extensive health data resources, including those from the National Health Insurance Service, Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA), hospital electronic medical records, and national cohorts. By applying AI, it becomes possible to predict the recurrence of myocardial infarction or estimate the risk of tuberculosis in patients with diabetes. These applications are not only noteworthy academic outcomes, but also practical tools for personalized care and the allocation of community health resources, ultimately contributing to the reduction of regional disparities in healthcare.
Second, vaccines and therapeutics for pandemic countermeasures are a promising area [
2]. Traditional clinical trials and candidate discovery processes are time-consuming. Even if we prepare for Disease X through the prototype pathogen approach, achieving a 100-day vaccine target may remain an aspirational slogan. AI, however, can simulate millions of protein–gene combinations to identify high-probability candidates rapidly, and the Republic of Korea already has facilities capable of scaling production. If the Republic of Korea successfully cultivates domestic suppliers of critical new technologies, including those essential for mRNA despite significant patent barriers, its capacity will expand further. Moreover, the International Vaccine Institute and the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing can create strong international synergies.
The third area is health system reform and regulatory rationalization. AI cannot be integrated into clinical practice through technology alone. The approval pathway for software as a medical device at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, health technology assessments at National Evidence-Based Healthcare Collaborating Agency, and reimbursement evaluations by HIRA all prioritize safety and effectiveness. Harmonization across these processes will be essential. For AI to be applied in practice, regulatory frameworks, clinical evidence, and reimbursement strategies must be incorporated into research design from the outset.
Finally, frontline applications of AI warrant attention. In infectious disease control, simulation-based training and digital dashboards for epidemiologists can accelerate outbreak response [
3]. In emergency and trauma care, AI-assisted triage can support appropriate hospital selection, advancing the principle of choosing the right hospital over the nearest one. In remote monitoring and digital therapeutics, AI integration can strengthen chronic disease management, reduce regional disparities, and enable performance-based payment models as well as health system performance assessment [
4].
From this perspective, the current issue highlights significant contributions. Iranian researchers designed a CD40L-based multi-epitope vaccine using immunoinformatics, which elicited stronger immune responses than full-length constructs [
5]. A Gulf-region study confirmed that mpox vaccine acceptance was linked to self-efficacy and prior COVID-19 vaccination, emphasizing the dual challenge of technological innovation and social acceptance [
6].
Korean researchers developed an AI model based on myocardial infarction cohorts that predicted major adverse cardiac events with 88% to 92% accuracy, aligning with international momentum [
7]. Studies from Morocco and Indonesia addressed adherence to diabetes medication and proposed a tuberculosis progression index, offering practical tools for managing the dual burden of noncommunicable and infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries [
8,
9].
In system-level research, the Republic of Korea’s scenario-based training improved outbreak investigation competencies [
10], genetic analysis of Anopheles sinensis revealed cross-border vector linkages [
11], and a national study demonstrated that direct transport of trauma patients to higher-level centers reduced mortality, confirming the importance of structural improvements [
12].
Finally, a Korean study on youth drug use identified impulsivity and sensation-seeking as risk factors, while self-efficacy acted as a protective factor, underscoring the importance of behavioral science approaches beyond legal regulation [
13].
In summary, the 9 papers in this issue illustrate how global research trends—vaccine innovation, disease prediction and cohort-based research, health security through preparedness, and behavioral studies—are being realized through diverse regional case studies. Among these, vaccine and cohort research stand out as top international priorities. The results generated by researchers in the Republic of Korea and partner countries provide both globally relevant evidence and regionally grounded insights for advancing biohealth and health system performance.
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Conflicts of Interest
Jong-Koo Lee has been the editor-in-chief of Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives since October 2021.
References
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