Starting in mid-2024, the government will offer around-the-clock care services for those suffering from severe developmental disabilities in a bid to provide better state support for their families.

The health ministry said on Tuesday that it plans to expand and institutionalize the 24-hour trial service currently offered in the southwestern city of Gwangju from June 2024. Some 20 people are being served by the Gwangju program with one-on-one daytime care and some spend nights at a publicly-funded facility.

The government also plans to develop supplementary services outside the daytime period next year, including artificial intelligence(AI)-based emergency safety support and nighttime visits.

Meanwhile, the government will expand daytime activity participation among adults with developmental disabilities next year from the current four to seven-point-five hours a day to a maximum eight hours a day.