ⓒYONHAP NewsPresident Yoon Suk Yeol officially announced plans to scrap the "Moon Jae-in care" policy expanding state health insurance coverage, which has been criticized for encouraging excessive treatment and freeloading of the system. The president called for a revamp that prevents wasteful spending while protecting services for those who need them.

At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared an overhaul of the previous administration's policy that expanded state-run health insurance coverage.

The so-called "Moon Jae-in care" announced in August 2017 extended coverage to most medical expenses with the exception of cosmetic procedures, covering over three-thousand-800 services such as robot surgeries, sonograms, and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).

Over the years, the system has come under fire for facilitating excessive treatment with a reduced individual expense, which eventually took a toll on the finances of the insurance system.

In that regard, Yoon said that although over 20 trillion won was spent to strengthen the coverage, the previous government neglected the abuse and freeloading of the system, passing the burden on to most of the public with what he called "populist policies."

Stressing that health insurance reforms are not a choice but a necessity, the president called on officials to swiftly normalize the system.

Yoon said eligibility for insurance benefits should be tightened and measures must be devised to prevent funds from being wasted while supporting vulnerable groups more effectively.

He also pledged to guarantee coverage for serious illnesses while enhancing the system's sustainability.