Korea’s Medical Paradox: Dead Last in Doctor Density, Yet a Global Leader in Outpatient Care

OECD Statistics Reveal Shortage of Clinical Doctors in Korea

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s OECD statistics from 2022, Korea ranks last in the number of clinical doctors per 1,000 people among OECD member countries, tied with Mexico.

The number of clinical doctors in Korea was 2.6 per 1,000 population, well below the OECD average of 3.8. The top five countries with the most clinicians were Austria, Norway, Germany, Denmark, and Switzerland.

The number of medical graduates in Korea was 7.6 per 100,000 people, lower than the OECD average of 14.3. This suggests that the number of clinical doctors will decrease further in the future.

On the other hand, the salary income of Korean doctors was found to be the highest among OECD member countries, with an average wage income of $194,857 (about 259 million won) PPP.

The total number of hospital beds in Korea was 12.8, more than three times the OECD average of 4.3. However, the number of beds in public hospitals was 1.2, less than half the OECD average of 2.7 times.

The number of outpatient doctor visits per person was 17.5, 2.7 times the OECD average of 6.3, ranking first.

Korea’s age-standardized death rate per 100,000 people by disease was lower than the OECD average, including 155 for cancer, 126.7 for circulatory system disease, 17.7 for diabetes, and 5.1 for dementia.

A senior official in the Office of the President emphasized the need for medical reform, saying, “Increasing the number of medical schools is ‘not an option but a necessity’ to protect the health of the public.”