Cure vs. Care: Case in Korea

Authors

  • Sung-Ho Kim Cheongju University
  • Ik-Whan G. Kwon The Center for Supply Chain Excellence, Saint Louis University http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8705-5172
  • Hanjun Kim Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14738/bjhr.1301.19835

Keywords:

End-of-Life, Palliative Care, Hospice Care, Long-term Care, Good Death, Elderly Misery, Solitary Death, Super-Age-Society, Well-Dying Act

Abstract

Medical sciences increase the life expectancy to the point that centenarian population is projected to quadruple over the next 30 years. Highlighting medical advancements and corresponding technological achievements is undeniably crucial for optimizing therapies and treatments; however, this focus significantly puts aside the critical goal of alleviating suffering in dying patients (Lionis et al., 2025), especially those in the end-of-life (EOL) stage. End-of-life is an emotional issue for everyone involved (patients, family, caregivers and religious community, etc.) which requires not only medical interventions, more importantly it (EOL) requires emotional support by and from every stakeholder in relieving pain and emotional stress emanated from isolation from family and friends, neglected by society and abandoned by government. 

Author Biographies

Ik-Whan G. Kwon, The Center for Supply Chain Excellence, Saint Louis University

Ik-Whan G. Kwon is a professor emeritus of Operation Management at Saint Louis University and is currently serving as director emeritus of Center for Supply Chain Management Studies at Saint Louis University. He is member of editorial board, at International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, International Journal of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management, and International Journal of Procurement Management. His current research interests include Supply Chain Design, Strategy and Implementation, and Lean Six Sigma in Supply Chain and Logistics. He is the author of “Factors Affecting the Level of Trust and Commitment in Supply Chain Management” in Journal of Supply Chain Management, “Trust, Commitment and Relationships in Supply Chain Management – Path Analysis” in Supply Chain Management, International Journal, “A Pilot Study on Normalized Weighted Approach to Citation Study: A Case of Logistics and Transportation Journal” in the International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management , “Comparative Efficiencies of Specialty Coffee Retailers from the Perspectives of Socially Responsible Global Sourcing” in The International Journal of Logistics Management, and “Examining the Roles of Suppliers in Large Scale System Integration Using a Coordination Theory: An Exploratory Study,” in The International Journal of Procurement Management.

Hanjun Kim, Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue University

Hanjun Kim is currently researching at the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue University.

References

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Published

2026-01-12

How to Cite

Kim, S.-H., Kwon, I.-W. G., & Kim, H. (2026). Cure vs. Care: Case in Korea. British Journal of Healthcare and Medical Research, 13(01), 184–190. https://doi.org/10.14738/bjhr.1301.19835

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 01 (2026): British Journal of Healthcare and Medical Research

Section

Original Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Sung-Ho Kim, Ik-Whan G. Kwon, Hanjun Kim

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.