Samsung Health features built into Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Watch8 series were registered with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety as the first digital medical and health support device. Samsung Electronics said on Friday it completed registration of key Samsung Health functions including heart rate, blood oxygen and step count under South Korea's digital medical and health support device reporting system, a domestic first.

The ministry introduced a voluntary reporting and performance certification system for digital medical and health support devices from January under the Digital Medical Products Act that took effect in January last year. It is the first case of institutionalising digital health products such as artificial intelligence, beyond the previous scope of medical devices limited to diagnosing and treating disease.

The ministry made information on reported products public to raise consumer access. Samsung Electronics moved ahead with the registration in support of the ministry's push to institutionalise digital medical and health support devices.

Samsung Health is a health management service that tracks key health indicators such as sleep, activity, diet and mental health, and provides AI-based personalised insights. It links with Galaxy wearable devices such as Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring to support systematic health management.

Samsung Health users can measure their heart rate throughout the day through Galaxy wearable devices and receive immediate alerts if unusual signs are detected. They can measure blood oxygen saturation in daily life to monitor overall respiratory health. They can also check changes in blood oxygen saturation during sleep.

Choi Jong-min (최종민), a managing director on the digital health team at Samsung Electronics' MX division, said, "Samsung Electronics will continue to drive innovation for preventive health management through wearable devices that are becoming essential tools for health management."