The government will expand eligibility for the National Integrated Bio Big Data Project to include people not covered by health checkups. Any citizen who wants to take part will be able to participate after completing designated examination procedures.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Oct. 15 unveiled the plan to expand participation criteria for the project.

The project collects donated health and genetic information and provides it for research use. The accumulated data is expected to be used to build Korean-style sovereign medical AI, develop innovative new drugs and advanced medical devices, and realise personalised precision medicine.

So far, recruitment of the general public has focused on people receiving national health checkups to secure checkup data and for participants' convenience. Under the eased criteria, even those not eligible for health checkups can participate if they undergo examination procedures for research participation at recruitment institutions.

The Health Ministry will hold a "Bio Data Donation Event for the National Integrated Bio Big Data Project" at Yonsei University Sinchon Severance Hospital at 10 a.m. on Oct. 15 to publicise the expanded eligibility and encourage public participation.

About 40 people, including Health Minister Eun-kyeong Jeong (정은경), Vice Chair Ha Jung-woo (하정우) of the National AI Strategy Committee, Sang-baek Ko (고상백), head of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, and Severance Hospital officials, will attend. Participants will donate bio data after procedures such as consent, blood sampling and body measurements.

At a policy meeting that follows, participants will share the project's implementation status and plans for the first data opening scheduled for November. They will also discuss policy directions for using the integrated bio big data for AI-based medical innovation.

Jeong said, "The national integrated bio big data is a public asset completed through public participation," adding, "Starting with the first opening in November, we will support safe and broad use of the data so that the results of medical innovation can return to the public."

Ha said, "I hope that based on AI innovation, South Korea's capabilities in precision medicine and new drug development will take another leap forward," adding, "The National AI Strategy Committee will take the lead in providing the necessary support for this."