Welcome to the National Bioethics Committee(NBC)

I am Kim Ok-ju, Chairperson of the National Bioethics Committee. The 7th National Bioethics Committee has officially launched.

Established in 2005 under the Bioethics and Safety Act, the National Bioethics Committee was launched as a presidential committee with the purpose of ensuring bioethics and safety, and contributing to the improvement of public health and quality of life.

Over the past six terms, building upon the dedication and efforts of our predecessor members, we have continuously deliberated and discussed the rapid advancements in various emerging life sciences technologies and our society's corresponding responses. In particular, at the conclusion of its term, the 6th Committee resolved the "Recommendations for the Improvement of the National Bioethics Committee," outlining a direction for operational enhancements to enable the Committee to fulfill its mission more practically in the future. Taking the efforts and recommendations of our predecessors with great responsibility, the 7th Committee will faithfully fulfill its role in establishing sound bioethics policies.

Today, emerging life-related technologies such as artificial intelligence, gene editing, and digital healthcare are advancing faster than ever, exerting a profound and widespread impact across society. While these technological advancements open up new possibilities for humanity, they concurrently demand profound reflection on human dignity and bioethics, alongside social consensus. Consequently, the importance of public bioethics—where all members of society participate and deliberate together—is being emphasized now more than ever.

Under the vision of "A Society that Establishes and Realizes Public Bioethics Based on Human Dignity and Human Rights," the 7th Committee aims to focus on the following activities:

First, we will strengthen our role as a hub for public discourse. This will expand opportunities for citizens, researchers, and other members of society to actively participate as responsible agents in the formation of bioethics-related policies and norms, ensuring sufficient deliberation based on diverse perspectives.

Second, we will establish the Committee's identity to drive effective policy implementation by coordinating interests among various ministries. By strengthening our proactive agenda discovery and professional research capabilities, we will faithfully execute our policy advisory function beyond mere deliberation.

Lastly, we will further solidify the common values of "respect for human life" and "human dignity," and continuously strive to put them into practice across all fields related to bioethics.

We kindly ask the public for your continued interest, active participation, and generous support for the activities of the 7th Committee.

We will operate the National Bioethics Committee dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of the people. Thank you.