Starting July 1, patients with type 1 diabetes who meet certain requirements will be able to register for "pancreatic disability" status and receive disability welfare services in South Korea. The new disability category, which includes diabetes and pancreatic transplant patients, was established following the deaths of an 8-year-old girl and her parents in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, in January 2024.
Health and Welfare Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong held a meeting with type 1 diabetes patients on May 20 after watching the film "Sugar" together at CGV in Yongsan, Seoul, where she explained the implementation plan for the pancreatic disability registration system. Approximately 140 attendees joined the event, including type 1 diabetes patients and their families, medical professionals from the Korean Diabetes Association, and ministry officials.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare revised the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities in December last year to establish pancreatic disability—where the pancreas does not secrete insulin—as a new disability category. The revision takes effect on July 1 this year.
Unlike type 2 diabetes, which develops due to insulin resistance caused by factors such as lack of exercise and Westernized dietary habits, type 1 diabetes occurs when beta cells in the pancreas are destroyed through autoimmune mechanisms. Because the body produces very little or almost no insulin, onset often occurs in childhood, and blood sugar management is extremely challenging as patients require lifelong external insulin administration.
However, not all diabetes patients qualify for pancreatic disability registration. Applicants must meet the "severe blood sugar management disorder" requirements specified in official guidelines, including cases where severe endocrine dysfunction persists despite at least six months of active insulin treatment such as insulin injection therapy or use of automatic insulin pumps. There are no restrictions based on diabetes type.
Those registered with pancreatic disability can receive activity support services through a comprehensive disability service support assessment and become eligible for disability allowances and medical expense support based on income level. Various welfare benefits including public utility fee reductions and tax benefits will also become available.
"Starting July 1, patients struggling with type 1 diabetes, like the child in the film Sugar, will be able to register for pancreatic disability and receive the support they need," Minister Jeong said. "We are also well aware of demands to expand insurance coverage for medical devices such as insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors. We will continue institutional improvements that provide practical benefits for people with pancreatic disabilities."